


Back to You

by Zoeykaytesmom



Series: Barba & Rossetti [4]
Category: Chicago Fire, Chicago PD (TV), Law & Order: SVU
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Kidnapping, Kids of Characters, Love, Marriage, No Kids - Freeform, Tooth Rotting Fluff, some smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:21:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 31,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27319150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zoeykaytesmom/pseuds/Zoeykaytesmom
Summary: I've done the college years, and yes I still haven't finished one (nor came up with a decent title) but I thought, what if I don't make things so easy for Izzy and Rafael for once?
Relationships: Amanda Rollins/Hasim Khaldun, Erin Lindsay/Original Male Character(s), Gabby Dawson/Matt Casey, Jay Halstead/Erin Lindsay, Lucia Barba/William Dodds, Olivia Benson/Brian Cassidy, Olivia Benson/Ed Tucker, Rafael Barba/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Barba & Rossetti [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1402645
Comments: 15
Kudos: 59





	1. Chapter 1

"Getting in a little late, aren’t you," CPD Intelligence Detective Erin Lindsay chuckled when her college roommate/best friend NYPD Detective Elizabeth "Izzy" Rossetti tip toed into Erin's apartment early one morning in September 2014.

"Don't start, Erin."

"Hey, I'm not saying anything. Coffee?"

"Please."

Erin went and grabbed a mug and poured her best friend a cup.

"So…"

"So, what?"

"You and Dawson have fun last night?" Erin asked, referring to Antonio Dawson. He was also a detective in Intelligence and more importantly, Izzy's high school sweetheart.

"You could say that," Izzy smiled. "It was…nice."

"Nice? It was nice?"

"What do you want me to say, Erin?"

"Well, our first year in college, I heard a lot."

"Shut up."

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"Well, I mean your ex just got engaged and then you flew out here on a moments notice."

"For starters, he didn't just get engaged. He's been engaged for a little while but kept it quiet because of everything with Liv and William Lewis then those fucking pimps."

"Still."

"Morning," Erin's roommate, Nadia smiled as she came in the kitchen.

"Hey, Nadia," the two of them replied.

"Erin do you mind if I borrow your car today?"

"Yeah, sure. Gabby is gonna come pick us up later."

"Thanks. Well, I'm gonna jump in the shower. Izzy you really don't have to sleep on the couch, you can have my bed while you're here."

"I'll be fine, Nadia, but thank you."

"If you change your mind, just make yourself at home."

"She always has," Erin teased.

"You want to go there, Lindsay? You come to New York and I'm cleaning up after you a week after you've left."

"Ha ha."

Nadia just shook her head with a laugh before heading for a shower.

"So, what do you want to do today?"

"What does Gabby have planned?"

"I have no idea. You know her."

"Almost all my life."  
********************************************************************  
"You slept with my brother?" Gabby Dawson laughed as she, Erin, and Izzy sat in Erin's living room with beer and pizza.

"Don't act like it's never happened before, Gabriela," Izzy told her as she rolled her eyes.

"What does this mean?"

"Nothing. We had a few drinks, we're both…"

"Both what?"

"They're both nursing broken hearts."

"Erin!"

"I was just trying to help."

"Wait. What am I missing?"

"You didn’t tell her? She doesn't know?"

Izzy just sort of shook her head.

"What the hell is going on?"

"Barba's engaged," Erin told her.

"Are you kidding? To who?"

"That ADA from Queens," Izzy shrugged.

"How long have they been together?"

"I don't know…6,7 months?"

"That's un-fucking-real. You two were just together, for the 800th time last year."

"Then Yelina came back in his life and everything fell apart."

"Are you serious? That fucking bitch? Didn't she cause problems when you two were dating when you were in college?"

"A couple of times. She'll always win, even though they haven't been together in years."

"What happened to her husband?"

"He's in prison, Erin. I told you that."

"Did you? Huh."

"Maybe if you weren't so worried about Halstead, you'd remember."

"Oooh. She's got you there, Lindsay," Gabby snickered before taking a bite of her pizza.

"What about you and Casey? What about the engagement, Dawson?"

"We're putting it on hold, Izzy. After everything with Shay and Severide moving in with us…plus, if I'm gonna be a candidate under him, we're not even supposed to be together."

"I thought you were going to that other house."

"Maybe not. Fingers crossed guys."

The three of them had been friends a long time. Izzy and Gabby grew up in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn and went to high school together, along with her older brother Antonio. Gabby moved to Chicago with her parents right after she graduated high school, while Antonio stayed behind for a few years. Erin and Izzy met when they were roomed together their Freshman year at NYU in the fall of 1997. The next year, the two of them moved into an apartment off campus and finished college. Erin moved back home upon graduation in 2001 and joined the CPD academy while Izzy joined the NYPD.

"You really doing okay, Izz?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, Gabby. After everything we've been dealing with in SVU over the summer, he kept it quiet."

"Did he tell you or…"

"He handed out invitations to an engagement party."

"And he invited you?! Is he stupid?!"

"We said we'd stay friends. He was being friendly," Izzy shrugged before getting up to get another beer.

Rafael Barba was the ADA that presided over SVU's cases. He had came from Brooklyn to take a case against talk show host Adam Cain in the summer of 2012. He and Izzy had a very long, complicated history.

He attended Harvard Law school and shared a room with Izzy's older brother, Tony. When Tony brought him home for Thanksgiving in 1996, because Rafael had no intention of going to the Bronx and dealing with his dad, Izzy was immediately taken with the green-eyed Cuban-American. She was 18, he was 23. 

They got along really well, even though he was with his high school girlfriend, Yelina, for another year before Rafael found out that Yelina had been carrying on an affair of sorts with his oldest friend in the world, Alex Munoz.

The honey blond Italian American then college Freshman spent hours on the phone with him, some nights just talking about nothing. She and Antonio had broken up right after Christmas in 1997 when he decided to follow his family to Chicago, leaving Izzy free to pursue Rafael.

The two of them built a friendship before anything. It wasn't until the summer of 1998 that something happened between the two.

"Well, there's somebody out here that would…"

"Stop, Gabby," Izzy chuckled. "Your brother and I never had a backslide. After all these years, it was bound to happen, especially since Laura left."

"I'd much rather have you for a sister in law."

"And I'm sure Hank would take you on in Intelligence," Erin added.

Izzy couldn't lie. It did seem appealing but she wasn't going to move for a guy. If she ever left New York, it would be for herself.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey, there you are," Sergeant Olivia Benson smiled as Izzy ran off the elevator to the bullpen.

"Sorry, I'm late, Sarge. My flight got delayed last night and by the time I got home, got the dog settled, I didn't get into bed until around 2."

"You want to take another day just to get…"

"No! I mean, no, I'm good. I swear. I just need some coffee and I'll be good to go."

"Okay, well, if you change your mind, just let me know."

"Sure."

Izzy set her stuff on her desk, without speaking to anyone and headed for the coffee pot.

SVU had caught a case while she was gone so she would have to get up to speed eventually but she wasn't really ready for the energy of her new partner.

"Hey."

"Uh, hey," Izzy responded to the ADA as he was grabbing a handful of pretzels while she was fixing her coffee the way she liked it.

"You have fun in Chicago?"

"Yeah. I hung out with Erin and Gabby. We had a good time."

"You see Antonio?"

"If I did?"

"Your brother told me he's getting divorced."

"So?"

She just looked at him while he waited for an answer that he didn't deserve.

"Yes, I saw Antonio. Happy?"

"I was just trying to make conversation."

"Leave the interrogation to the cops, Rafael."

"Fine," he hissed as he turned to walk to Liv's office.

"How was your weekend?" Nick Amaro asked when Izzy finally made it to her desk.

"It was fun."

"You and Lindsay are pretty close, huh?"

"We went to college together, Nick. We lived together the whole time. She's my best friend."

"I'm officially offended," Amanda Rollins laughed as she came back from the bathroom.

"She's one of my best friends. Happy, Rollins?"

"Better."

"So, did you guys go to the engagement party?"�  
"Yes and it was so awful. Be glad you already had plans," Nick chuckled.

"Why was it bad?"

"They just don't mesh well. I mean, she's not the type of woman I see Barba with."

"What do you mean?"

"She's been nice when we've all went out," Amanda started, "but she was so stuck up and so was her family."

"Barba's stuck up," Izzy snickered while she waited on her computer to boot up.

"Not like that," Nick added. "You just would've had to have been there."

"Got it. So, get me up to speed on everything with Tensely Adams."

Soon, Izzy's partner, Dominick "Sonny" Carisi came in with some files and his horrible mustache.

"Hey, partner."

"Hey, Carisi."

"How was Chicago?"

"Great. Except one thing."

"What's that?"

"I prayed that I'd come home and that mustache would be back on Tom Selleck."

Nick, Amanda, and Fin Tutuola just laughed quietly as Carisi rolled his eyes before sitting at his desk.

Liv, Fin, Nick, and Amanda went out to work the case, leaving Carisi and Izzy to run backgrounds on people that had been mentioned during the investigation.

Carisi was also attending law school at night at Fordham, causing snide comments from Rafael when he could fit one in. He was rambling on and on and on while Izzy was doing everything she could to concentrate on the task hand.

"Carisi shut up!!" She finally snapped without thinking. He just threw up his hands and went back to his desk. Izzy realized what she had done. "Carisi I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I just…I had a long weekend and I'm…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell like that."

"It's cool. You okay?"

"Yeah," she lied.

"You hungry?"

"I could eat but not a goat cheese and sun-dried tomato pizza."

"How about a gyro?"

"That would work."

"Come on. I'm buying."

"Thanks, Carisi," Izzy smiled as she grabbed her jacket and they left.  
********************************************************************  
"I can't believe Barba wasn't put in contempt over that scene in the courtroom," Amaro mentioned after they wrapped the case of Evie Barnes. She had been raped by two guys at her college when they found out she was starring in porn to pay her tuition. The jury had come back with a guilty verdict, but the judge in his infinite wisdom, decided to set the verdict aside at the sentencing hearing. Rafael was pissed beyond belief as was the rest of the squad.

"Well, he had every right to be pissed," Carisi added as the two of them, along with Rollins and Izzy met for drinks after they got off. "I mean, in all my classes…"

"Here we go," Amanda joked as she pushed herself back from the table.

"I was just gonna say…"

"We get it, Carisi. You go to law school," Izzy laughed as she rolled her eyes.

"Have any of you ever seen a judge do that though?"

"Never did in Atlanta," Amanda answered.

"I never have. Nick?"

"Not once. Anyone think about looking into his stats?"

"No, no, no, Nick. Liv and I did that a few years ago and we ended up in contempt for nothing. I mean, she was corrupt, but we went through a lot to bring her down."

"How long have you been here Izzy?"

"Since 2007. I got sent over from Brooklyn during a case and have been here since."

"That was a fucked up case, too," Nick said before taking a drink of his beer.

"What happened?"

"Shh, here comes Fin. We'll talk about it another time, Sonny."

"You guys started without me?"

"I had to get a head start so I can beat you at pool. I play better after a few beers," Nick told him.

"You get more cocky but you don't get better," Fin told him. "Next round's on me."

Fin and Nick brought back beers for everyone before the two of them, followed by Carisi headed to a pool table.

"You okay?" Amanda asked her best friend.

"Yeah. What do you mean?"

"The past month or so, you've seem kind of…depressed."

"Just got a lot on my mind."

"You know, you can talk to me. I know I'm not Erin but…you helped me. I can help you."

"I know, Amanda. It's just…I'm just feeling sorry for myself. I'll snap out of it."

"Well, I'm here."

"Thank you."

Nick and Fin played a few round of pool, Rollins left to tend to her dog, Carisi was chatting up some brown haired girl in the corner while Izzy moved to a seat at the bar.

The guys tried to get Izzy to leave one by one but she said she was fine as she drank beer after beer.

"Detective don't you think you've had enough?" The bartender, Joey asked when she ordered another.

"Come on, Joey. It's me. I can drink any man in here under the table."

"I'm aware. Give me your keys."

"I'm a cop. I know it's against the law to drink and drive."

"Good. Give me your keys."

"How will I get into my apartment?"

"Izzy, come on."

"I swear, I'll call an Uber or catch a cab. My jeep will stay here."

"It better."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Where's my beer?"

He reluctantly set another in front of her before going to the phone.

About 15 minutes later, Izzy asked for another beer.

"I'm cutting you off, detective."

"Aw, come on, Joey. Just one more."

"No. Settle up. You're done."

"Fine. I can go somewhere else," she muttered as she slammed her credit card on the bar.

"And that someplace is home."

"Liv? What are you doing here?"

"Joey called and said you needed a ride."

"I can catch a cab," Izzy slurred as she signed her credit card slip.

"I've got my car outside."

"Where's Noah?"

"With Lucy."

Even in her drunken state, Izzy felt awful that her CO had to call her nanny to watch her son so Liv could take her home. So much so, she started crying, causing Liv to chuckle lightly.

"I'm sorry, Liv."

"Lucy was already at my apartment. I just got home an hour ago."

"And I'm taking time away…"

"Stop. Look at me. Hey. Let's get you to Brooklyn. Huh?"

Izzy nodded as she wiped her tears and Liv helped her to her SUV.

The ride to Brooklyn Heights was a quite one with Izzy trying not to get sick. She hadn't drank that much in forever and she could feel it.

Once they got to her building, Liv helped the detective to her apartment and helped her get comfortable.

"Why don't you take tomorrow off?"

"It's just a hangover and I've worked…"

"I know but…I want to ask you a question."

"Okay."

"Do you have a drinking problem?"

"What? No. I just had too much tonight. I've got a lot on my mind."

"When was the last time you took a vacation?"

"Seriously? You're asking me that?"

"What's going on with you?"

"First Amanda now you," Izzy muttered quietly.

"I know you didn't have plans to go to Chicago a month ago."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you made plans to go to Chicago but you didn't have it planned before."

"I just wanted to get out of town for a few days."

"Why?"

Izzy looked at Liv and knew the look on her face all too well.

"He told you."

"Yeah, he did," Liv admitted quietly as she nodded. "So, 14 years and then…"

"I always thought we'd end up together. I really did. Last year when we decided to put things on hold, I thought that maybe…I don't know. I thought that once Yelina was finally out of his life, we'd start things back up. Stupid, huh?"

"Not at all."

"I was in love with him, Liv. I still am."

"Did you ever tell him?"

"No and I'm not going to now. I'm gonna let him move on and I'm gonna attempt to do so myself. Maybe I'll end up with my high school boyfriend," she shrugged.

"Dawson? You moving to Chicago?"

"Not anytime soon," Izzy laughed lightly as she sipped the coffee Liv had stopped at Starbucks and got her.

"I know it's hard but I need you at your best. If you're not at your best, you need to tell me. I can put you on different cases. If you need a day or two, you have plenty of time banked."

"I know, Liv. I'm sorry. I promise I'll be better."

"I know you will. Take the next two days off. Go see your mom and dad."

"Yeah, okay."

"If you need anything, I'm just a phone call away."

"Thanks. Where's Murtaugh?" Izzy asked about her Australian Cattle Dog or Blue Heeler as the breed was commonly known.

"He's in his bed in your room."

"He's so lazy. Well, I'm gonna get in bed. Thanks, Liv."

"Of course. Get some rest."


	3. Chapter 3

"You're his best man?" Izzy asked her brother who had stopped by about a week later.

"Is that a problem, sis?" Tony replied before shoving a pickle in his mouth. Tony was the same age as Rafael and was in ADA in the Bronx. He resembled a lighter skinned Bobby Cannavale and just a little shorter.

"No. He's your best friend. I get it."

"If you're not comfortable with it, I'll tell him I can't do it."

"No. It's fine. Really."

"So, you talk to Antonio lately?"

"He text the other day. He's selling his house and getting an apartment."

"That sucks what Laura did."

"I know. They got together when he was in the academy. I know Diego getting kidnapped had to have been awful but she shouldn't have expected him to just up and move. He loves his job."

"You think you two would ever give it another shot?"

"You trying to get rid of me?"

"Of course not," Tony chuckled. "You guys are both single. I mean, it almost would make sense."

"What Antonio and I had was young love. We're much older now and different people."

"You slept with him when you went out there."

"How did you…Erin!"

"Yeah. You know she's got a big mouth."

"Don't make a dirty joke right now, Junior."

"I wasn't going to."

"Liar."

"Okay, maybe. You know Pop's retirement party is in two weeks."

"Yeah, I know. You taking anybody?"

"I might. Not sure yet," the older Rossetti shrugged. "You?"

"Yeah, actually."

"A date? Really?"

"It's not a date. He's my partner and said he'd come with me. It's no big deal."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm not going to sleep with my partner!"

"Okay, you don't have to yell."

"I wasn't yelling. Do you not have food?"

"Yeah," he said with his mouth full of the sandwich he had made for himself. "You have better food."

"You're a jackass."

"You love me."

"I'm forced to."

"Whatever. Well, thanks for the beer and the sandwich. I got to go hit the books. This case I have is kicking my ass."

"That's because you suck."

"Not all of us can be Barba."

"If you say so."

"I'll call you!" Tony called as he headed out the door.  
**********************************************************************  
"Are you sure I'm dressed okay?"

"Carisi, you're fine," Izzy told him as they headed to Manhattan for her dad's retirement party. Her father, Anthony Rossetti Sr, was finally retiring after 40 years at the FDNY. 

"You think your parents will like me?"

"We're not dating."

"I know but still. We spend an awful lot of time together and I just want to make a good impression."

"You'll be fine, Carisi. I promise. They love Nick and Fin."

"Okay."

Once they got to the place where the party was being held, Izzy made a beeline for her dad and mom, Stella. 

Stella was beyond beautiful. She held a striking resemblance to Leah Remini, with the Brooklyn attitude to match. She was principal of Izzy and Tony's alma mater, FDR High School, in Bensonhurst.

"There she is," Anthony smiled when his only daughter walked up. He was quick to wrap her in a hug.

Stella was beautiful and Anthony was just as handsome. He could be mistaken for Stanley Tucci if people didn't look close enough.

"I can't believe you're actually retiring, Dad."

"Believe it, Peanut. It's time."

"You still have a few years left."

"I have been a firefighter since I was 18. I'm done."

"Elizabeth, do you ever eat?" Stella asked as she hugged her daughter.  
�"Ma."

"You just look so skinny."

"I've been working crazy hours lately. I'm fine, Mama."

"Okay. So, is this your partner?"

"OH! I'm sorry, Sonny Carisi, this is my mother, Stella Rossetti and my father, Chief Anthony Rossetti."

"Just Anthony," he chuckled as he shook Carisi's hand. "Our daughter's told us a lot about you."

"All good I hope."

"Some of it," Tony laughed as he walked up and introduced himself.

"Shut up, Tony. Carisi ignore my brother."

"If my sister tries bossing you around, ignore her."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"That means whatever the hell you want it to mean."

"Are you saying you want a piece of me?"

"Okay you two, knock it off," Stella lightly scolded her kids. "Let's go to our table."

Speeches were made, plaques were given to Anthony for his service and such. Izzy was shocked to see CFD Battalion Chief Wallace Boden, Lieutenants Matt Casey and Kelly Severide had made the trip for the party. 

Boden had worked along side Anthony on 9/11 for hours, if not days, looking for survivors.

"Hey, Izz."

"Hey, Matt. You didn't bring Gabby?"

"Hermann has her busy," Matt chuckled. "How've you been?"

"Good."

"When you coming back to Chicago?"

"Not sure, Severide."

"Well, next time you come out, give me a call," the very handsome Rescue Squad Lieutenant said with a smile.

"Kelly, you used to date my best friend."

"I think Erin would be okay with it."

"You need to stop."

"Yeah, besides, Antonio has this one claimed."

"Does everyone know I slept with him, Matt?"

"You know your best friend," he laughed. 

She just shook her head and went to rescue Carisi from her brother.

"Hey, Carisi. You want to get out of here?"

"Uh, sure. What did you have in mind, Izz?"

"Forlini's isn't far away. Let's go have a few drinks."

"Okay."

Izzy bid her parents good-bye, as well as her brother, Chief Boden, Severide, and Casey before she and Carisi headed out.

"Thanks for inviting me tonight," Carisi told his partner as they sat at the bar, waiting on a couple of shots of tequila.

"Are you kidding? Thanks for coming with me."

"Your parents are nice."

"Yeah, they're pretty great. I saw you talking to my brother a lot."

"He said when I pass the bar, to give him a call. Maybe he can get me an interview somewhere. He's pretty cool."

"Yeah, if you're not related to him."

"So, he's Barba's best man, huh?"

"Yep," she answered before downing her first shot.

"Something happen between you and Barba?"

"Huh? Why do you say that?"

"Come on. I know I've only been in the unit for a few months but, I know when I see a spark between two people."

"You sure about that?"

"Definitely."

"It was…it was a long time ago."

"Not that long."

"Sonny…"

"You're the only one that calls me that," he smiled before taking his shot.

"Nuh-uh."

"Yeah huh. Everyone else just calls me 'Carisi'. I still don't feel like I fit in."

"Carisi you are doing just fine. I know you had a rough rotation of sorts but landing here was the best thing that could've happened to you."

"You think so?"

"Oh yeah. I came from Brooklyn and Captain Steven Harris was my commanding officer."

"Yeah, he taught a few classes when I was in the academy."

"He's my Rabbi. He taught me a lot. When the 16th had to deal with the Darius Parker case in 2007, me and my partner, Chester Lake, got sent over to take up some of the slack. A year later, Chester got involved in a shooting…ugh, it was terrible. I stayed, however, and honestly, I probably learned more from Liv than anyone else. So, just keep listening to her, and you'll be fine."

"Thanks, Izz."

"No problem. Another shot?"

"Sure."

The two of them only had a few drinks at the retirement party so they were far from drunk. After a few shots of tequila, though, they were both feeling good, but Izzy knew it was time to go.

Carisi lived in Bay Ridge so they shared an Uber. The first stop was Izzy's apartment.

"Can you wait for a minute?" Carisi asked the driver. "I want to make sure my partner is okay."

"Yeah, no problem," the woman smiled as Carisi followed Izzy into her building. 

"Carisi you don't have to come up," Izzy giggled as they rode in the elevator.

"I have to make sure you get home okay."

"I'm not that drunk."

"Still. I try to be a gentleman."

"Well, you don't have to try hard."

"Thank you," he smiled.

Once the elevator got to the 7th floor, Izzy and Carisi walked to her apartment. "This you?"

"Yep. 7B. Thank you, Sonny, for everything tonight. I had a good time."

"You got it, partner."

The two of them looked at each other for a short time before they both cleared their throats.

"So, I'll see you Monday?"

"See you Monday, Carisi," Izzy told him with a smile.


	4. Chapter 4

After a case that began in Chicago, sending Erin, Jay Halstead, and Hank Voight to New York, Rafael's wedding was coming up. Everyone had been invited, including Izzy. She and Barba only talked when it came to work but for some reason, he still invited her.

"Are you kidding me, Gabby? He invited me cause he didn't want me to feel left out," Izzy said to her best friend on the phone the Thursday before the wedding.

"You should've called Antonio and had him be your plus one."

"I'm not into playing games, Dawson."

"Still. If you don't go, that means…"

"It means I don't want to see my ex get married."

"Okay. I get it. Are you gonna pop up out here this weekend?"

"No. I'm gonna stay home. I can't run from everything that upsets me."

"Well, Severide has been asking about you."

"Ugh."

"I know he's not my brother but…"

"No, Gabby. He dated Erin."

"And she's all in love with Jay."

"She says she's not."

"You know her better than I do."

"And I know she's lying," Izzy laughed.

"See? You want me to come out there?"

"Gabby I'm fine. Really."

"What about you and your partner?"

"We almost kissed when we had too much to drink. We talked about it. That's all it was. No big deal."

"I saw him on Facebook. He is hot!"

"I'm still not sleeping with my partner."

"Your loss, I'm sure."

"Say good-night, Gabby."

"Good-night, Gabby," Dawson laughed as they hung up.

Izzy did find Carisi attractive, no doubt, but she couldn't cross that line.  
**************************************  
“You sure you don't wanna go?"

"Fin, I'm good," Izzy told him as everyone was getting ready to leave so they could shower, change clothes, and head to Rafael's wedding.

"You know, we could always go together," Carisi smiled. 

"Carisi."

"I'm just saying. It would drive the counselor crazy."

"Yes, cause I want to ruin his wedding. Look, guys, he only invited me so I wouldn't feel left out. I didn't RSVP so I'm not going."

"You know, for what it's worth, Barba's an idiot," Fin told his friend before giving her a hug.

"You guys go. I'll be okay. Don’t worry about me."

"Well, I doubt I stay long at the reception so you can always give me a call."

"Thanks, Fin. I'm probably just gonna order some Chinese and hang out with the glee club of McKinley High."

"I still can't believe you like that show," Carisi chuckled as he shook his head.

"It's so bad, it's good, Carisi. You guys have fun."

Fin and Carisi headed toward the elevator while Izzy packed up her things.

She got in her Jeep Rubicon and finally let herself feel how she felt about the wedding. After about 15 minutes of crying, she wiped her eyes, started her vehicle, and headed toward Brooklyn.

Izzy Rossetti went home and took Murtaugh for a walk so he could go to the bathroom. After that, she order some Kung Poa Chicken while she turned on a DVD of "Glee".

Once she ate part of the food that was delivered, she decided to get out of the apartment. She was done feeling sorry for herself.

At least, that's what she thought when she ended up at her favorite bar. It was her favorite cause her uncle Angelo owned it and she could drink for free.

She put $5 in the jukebox, playing anything from The Flirts to The Killers while she sat at the bar, drinking scotch.

Erin and Gabby were texting Izzy checking on her constantly, no matter how many times she told them she was okay.

"You want another drink, cuz?"

"Huh? Yeah, Enzo. Please."

Her cousin sat another glass of Johnny Walker Black on ice in front of her while she still played on her iPhone.

She could feel someone take the seat next to her but she never gave it a second thought as she text Erin back for the 12th time.

"Get you a drink?" She heard her cousin ask.

"I'll have what she's having."

The voice was way too familiar, causing her to look up. "Rafael?"

"Hey," he said with a smile.

"What are you doing here?"

"Well, I wanted a drink somewhere quiet."

"No, I mean…shouldn't you be…married?"

"I should, yeah."

"But you're not?" "I couldn't do it," he shrugged.

"What?"

Izzy was incredibly shocked by the fact that Rafael Barba was sitting next to her in the dive bar to begin with but she was processing the fact that he "couldn't" get married. She was only on her second scotch so she wasn't drunk.

"I was sitting in my apartment last night and I just kept asking myself, 'Am I doing the right thing'?"

"Okay?"

"Kellie is great, don't get me wrong but she's not the one."

"Oh."

"She's too perfect."

"What's wrong with that?"

"I don't want perfect. I want a woman that talks with her mouth full. One that looks just as good in Prada as she does in a t-shirt and sweats from Target. A woman that loves horrible TV like 'Glee', 'Impractical Jokers', and 'The Goldbergs'. One that loves that horrible 70s and 80s music, not to mention boy bands; not to mention reads those god awful gossip rags for 'entertainment'. I want a woman that can go toe to toe with me and won't back down. One that…you know what? To hell with this. I want you, Elizabeth."

Her heart seemed to drop into her stomach when he said that.

"What?"

"You're the one."

"Rafa…"

"I haven't heard that in long time," he told her with a smile as he took her hand in his.

"Did you change clothes?" She asked when she noticed he was wearing a light green sweater and jeans.

"Well, I thought if I was gonna go after the woman I'm actually in love with, I needed to get out of the tux I was wearing to marry someone else."

"You're in love with me?"

"I have been for 14 years," he admitted. "I can't stand the fact that you were with Antonio…"

"Excuse me?"

"When you went to Chicago and I asked if you saw Antonio. It felt like someone had punched me in the stomach when you said you had. If anyone could take you from me, it would be him."

"Why did you get engaged?" Izzy asked him as tears started rolling down her cheeks.

"A lot of it…shit, I don't know. Mami has been on me about settling down and getting married. I guess another part of it was because I was doing everything I could to get over you."

"You broke up with me. Remember?"

"I know. I am so sorry I let Yelina get in my head like that but I promise it'll never happen again."

The detective just sat in the stool, staring at the ADA, not knowing what to say.

"Mi amor, please say something."

"Did you leave her at the altar?"

"Of course not. I just told her I didn't think we should get married. She's a lot younger than me and I told her that there was someone out there that could give her everything she desired but it wasn't going to be me."

"What did she say?"

"She actually agreed. She said that she felt like she was under pressure from her parents and she didn't want to stay in New York for the rest of her life. It was basically mutual."

Izzy still didn't know what to say or what to do.

"Okay."

"Okay…what?"

"I have no idea," she admitted with a small laugh.

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Rafa."

He bit his bottom lip before moving into kiss the detective. It was hard but soft at the same time.

"Do I have to worry about Dawson coming around to try and take you away?"

"Raf!"

"You can't blame me for asking," he laughed as he fended off a small slap on his arm. "Come home with me."

"I…I can't."

"What?"

"You just left your wedding."

"Two hours ago."

"I tell you what. You take me on a real date, we'll talk about it."

"I broke off my wedding for you," he teased.

"Did I ask you to?"

"Ugh, you're an asshole."

"I learned from you."

"No, you learned from your brother." "Maybe. Listen, I love you, but I want us to start…"

"I get it, carino. Okay. Tomorrow night. Be dressed in your best."

The two of them walked out hand in hand as they waited on their Ubers. It didn’t take long before they were making out like two horny teenagers.

Soon they're cars arrived.

"Can I come home with you?"

"No, Rafa."

"Ugh, fine. Tomorrow night?"

"Tomorrow night," she confirmed with a nod.  
**********************************************************************  
"This is bullshit," Amanda groaned as she slammed a file on her desk.

"Rollins come on. We all saw the video," Fin told her as they discussed the case of former pro-football player AJ Martin knocking his girlfriend Paula Bryant out after the Black and White Ball.

"She doesn't want us to press charges so why are we?"

"You heard Liv."

"No, I heard Liv, Barba, and Izzy. Ever since Izzy and Barba got together, the three of them are up each other's asses."

"Nice language," Carisi chuckled.

"I'm just saying…no, never mind. You'll run back to Izzy and tell her."

"Rollins what is your problem?"

"Nothing, Fin. I'm fine."

"Yeah, you sound like it."

"I'm gonna get out of here. Anyone want to join me for a drink?"

"Can I meet you in about 30 minutes?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, sure. You know where to find me."

Izzy came out of Liv's office to find Amanda heading toward the elevator.

"She okay?"

"You know Rollins," Amaro replied.

"Well, I'm heading out."

"Have a good evening," Fin called after her.

Instead of heading to Brooklyn Heights, Izzy headed to Rafael's Upper West Side Apartment. 

It had been almost a month since he had called off his wedding at the last minute to be with the only girl he ever truly loved. He had already given her a key to his place to come and go as she liked. She knew he would be in his office working so she decided to throw together a lasagna as fast she could, even with a homemade sauce.

About three hours later, Rafael came in, the smell coming from the kitchen hitting him as soon as he walked in, which made him smile as he loosened his tie.

Izzy was busy putting together a Cesar salad when she felt a pair of arms around her waist and a kiss on her neck.

"Well, hello, counselor."

"How did you know it was me?"

"Who else has a key to your place and who else smells like Terre d'Hermes?"

"Fair enough," he giggled against her neck. "You did wonderful in court today."

"Baby."

"What?"

"We said…"

"I know, I know. You just…you helped my case."

"I was just doing my job," she smiled as she turned to face him.

"And you are amazing at it," he told her before he started kissing her neck more aggressively.

"Rafa!"

"Hmm?"

"I…have…dinner in the oven."

"So turn it down." 

She maneuvered her way around him to go to the stove, turning the oven down to low as not to burn the food. The ADA was soon on her heels, kissing the back of her neck softly while his hand traveled to unbutton the black Prada pants she had on.

As luck would have it, her phone rang as soon as he had his hand in the black satin boy short panties she was wearing.

"Ignore it," he mumbled as he moved his mouth to her earlobe.

"I can't. It's Amaro."

"What the fuck could he want?" Rafael asked as he hastily grabbed a towel off the counter.

"I don't know. Let me find out and I'm all yours. Rossetti."

"Is this a bad time?"

"Just cooking dinner. What's up, Nick?"

"It's Rollins."

"What about her?"

"Can you just go get her?"

"Go get her? Where's she at?"

Nick told Izzy the bar in Long Island City, Queens Amanda frequented. "It's just…she won't listen to me and she's…she's drunk."

"Yeah, I guess I can go get her."

Rafael rolled his eyes at his girlfriends words as he slammed the towel in the sink and walked out of the kitchen. Izzy hung up the phone and went to find him sitting in his home office.

"Rafa…"

"Just go."

"I'm sorry. Nick says she's in bad shape and I guess she got in his face, brought up Maria…"

"Go. It's fine. Really."

"Are you sure?"

His face softened as his lips curled into a small smile. "I like that you take care of your friends."

"I'll take care of you when I get back."

"I might be full after I eat the dinner you prepared."

"You better save room for me, if you know what's best."

"Is that right?"

"Hmm-mm," she hummed with a smile before leaning over his desk to kiss him.

"If you're lucky."

"I'll try not to be gone too long. I promise."

"I need to look over some stuff for tomorrow anyways but I will be waiting for you when you get back."

"Good."


	5. Chapter 5

"How was the conference?" Rafael asked his girlfriend as she walked into her apartment one snowy day in early January 2015.

"Oh, you know how it goes. Atlanta PD sat on the rape kits for 6 years, we catch the guy, but APD gave themselves the pat on the back."

"Sorry I missed it."

"How's your Abuelita?"

"Another round of antibiotics. I've never seen her this sick before," he remarked sadly.

"She's tough. She'll bounce back. Is she staying inside?"

"Yeah. Mami's getting her groceries and stuff. Running herself ragged in the process after working 12 hours a day at the school. You know, she's single handedly keeping that school afloat."

"I've got this weekend off. Why don't I give your mom a break?"

"I'm sure Abuelita would like to see you," he smiled. "You were the only girlfriend of mine she ever liked."

"I find that hard to believe."

"I'm serious, her and Mami both. They have always loved you. I remember when I got engaged, oh, I thought Mami was gonna lose it."

"You know, we've been back together for a few months and we've never really discussed in detail what happened with all that."

"What do you mean, mi amor?"

"Well, I mean, you told me that you got engaged because you were trying to get over me and pressure from…"

"You know, we've done the off and on thing since I was in law school. Every time I would think we were gonna get it right, something would happen. When all that stuff happened with Alex a year ago, Yelina came around fishing for information. I knew that if charges were brought, his lawyer would find out about our relationship and try to use it to cast reasonable doubt if he didn't take a plea. I broke things off to protect you, really."

"Oh?"

"I thought I was doing the right thing and once the dust settled, we could pick back up. I mean, I even told you I didn't see the break lasting forever."

"But you started dating Kellie…"

"That was my fault."

"What do you mean?"

"Your brother had told me that Antonio's wife had left him and…I've seen Dawson. Okay? Who am I compared to him?"

"You started dating Kellie because Antonio…"

"It was more my insecurities getting the best of me. He's your first love. You two have never lost contact with each other and you were going to Chicago a lot more…"

"I was not," she chuckled. "I was not going out there anymore than usual."

"Maybe not but I just…I had it in my head that that's who you were meant to be with."

"Rafael…why didn't you ever tell me this?"

"Because I would've sounded like a wuss."

"So?"

"So, you agree?"

"Don't put words in my mouth, counselor."

"I just thought that Antonio was your soulmate."

"I thought you didn't believe in soulmates."

"Well, I like the word soul and I really like the word mate," he told his girlfriend as they both started laughing. "No, I know who mine is."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. It's Murtaugh. Come here, boy! It's time for your walk!!"

Izzy took one of the throw pillows from her couch and knocked her boyfriend in the head with it.

Murtaugh soon rounded the corner, ready for his walk. 

"I was only kidding."

"Don't forget a poop bag," Izzy smirked as she got up and headed to the bedroom.

Rafael just stared at the dog who was staring back at him, groaning. Blue heelers can be very vocal for no reason at all, which would crack Izzy and Rafael both up when the dog would moan and groan.

"Yeah, I know, buddy. I love her, too. Let me get my coat."

With that, Rafael and the gray, black, and white dog headed for the door.  
*************************************************************************  
"So, that's why you left Atlanta?" Izzy asked Amanda after Rollins told her friend the story of Chief Patton raping her just like he was being accused of doing to another female detective that had come to New York from Atlanta for the conference when the Pattern Seventeen rapist had been caught.

"My sister was in trouble and I…"

"That still doesn't give him the right to do that, Amanda."

"I know but it's not like telling it now is going to help Detective Taymor's case."

"Maybe if you just tell her, she'll know she's not alone."

"Everyone was sure I left APD because I wanted a relationship with Patton, when that was not the case at all. I just had to get away from him."

"I get it."

Amanda looked at the woman she considered her best friend quizzically.

"When I was a white shield in VICE, my captain was my first mentor. He helped get me on the detective track and gave me all the best cases."

"You mean Captain Harris?"

"No. Captain Wald. It was no secret he got around but I did my job. That's what I was there to do. I brought down a few big names. When I finally made detective, he took me to dinner to 'celebrate'. I should've sensed something since it was just us but I was just too excited. He tried to kiss me."

"Are you serious?"

"He said he felt like he deserved something in return for my career."

"Did you report him to IAB or anything?"

"No," Izzy shook her head. "I never told anyone because I felt like maybe I didn't actually deserve my promotion. And I worried that I wouldn't get any more promotions if I spoke up. That was until then Lieutenant Harris plucked me from VICE and put me in Brooklyn SVU. He picked me because of my record and the commendations I had received."

"And you get more as the years go on," Amanda sort of laughed.

"I know I wasn’t raped but I know what it's like to have a man in power try to use it over me to get what they want."

"What should I do, Izz?"

"Well, stop ignoring Barba's phone calls for one cause I am tired of hearing him gripe," the Senior blond detective joked. "Maybe just talk to Reese so she can get justice. She can get justice and even if you don't testify, in a way, you will, too."

Rollins sat at the table in the break room and just nodded lightly.

"Listen, why don't we get out of here and go get a drink or two? Barba is gonna be in his office working late. I was just gonna go home and turn on a DVD of 'American Horror Story'."

"Raincheck? I need to take Frannie for a walk and just kind of wrap my head around things."

"Sure, Rollins. I'll see you in the morning."

"She okay," Carisi asked as he met Izzy at the elevator.

"She will be, Carisi. What are you doing here? Thought you had some big test to study for?"

"Left some stuff in my desk. That's gotta be tough on Rollins. Her old boss being accused of raping his detective. I can't imagine where her mind is right now."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean, she's gotta be torn, loyalty wise, ya know?"

Izzy knew Carisi didn't know what she did about Rollins and Chief Patton, but she wasn't about to tell it either. 

"I can see what you mean but her loyalty is to the NYPD. I assure you," she told her partner with a smile.

"Okay, well, good luck with all this."

"Thanks, Carisi. Good luck with your test."

"God, I need it. You think…nah, never mind."

"No. What's up?"

"You think Barba might help me study?"

"He's really busy with this case but then again, he might welcome the break."

"Could you ask him for me?"

"Are you still scared of him, Carisi?"

"I'm not scared of him, Rossetti. Just not, not scared, per se."

"I'll talk to him but you owe me."

"Thanks! Just let me know."

Izzy headed to her Rubicon while Carisi got in his Mustang and they headed off in different directions.  
**********************************************************************  
"Carisi you're not listening!!!" Izzy heard Rafael practically yell from his home office.

"All I'm saying is…"

"No! You're not saying! You want to be a lawyer then listen to me. It doesn't matter what you think, the law is what the statute says."

"Okay, okay. You're right. It's just this case that I'm…"

"Carisi, I get it. Trust me."

"Sounds like you guys could use a break," Izzy chimed in as she walked into the office with a drink for each of them.

"Thank you, mi amor."

"Yeah, thanks, partner."

"Sonny don't let him get to you so much. You should know by now that his bark is so much worse than his bite."

"I don't know by that mark on your neck," Carisi mumbled but loud enough for both Rafael and Izzy to hear him.

"Jealous?" Rafael snarked before chuckling.

"You wish."

"Okay, boys. No flirting."

"We all know Carisi wants me."

"Yeah, you bet, Barba," Carisi replied sarcastically. "I'm sorry but I could do better."

"So, you think."

The three of them just had a laugh as they all finished the scotch Izzy had brought in. It was nice to see Rafael not busting Carisi's balls for a change and just actually joking around with him.

"Hey, Izz. You heard from Rollins?"

"Uh, she text me the other day. She's in Costa Rica."

"Costa Rica? What's there?"

"Some yoga retreat. She just needed to get away, Carisi."

"Man, I still can't believe that Chief did that to her."

"He was an arrogant prick. When he called me a 'Spanish Dandy', I came so close to telling him, 'I've probably had more women than you and none of them by force'," Rafael added.

"Ooohhh, Barba acts like he's got game."

"He's kept me off and on for almost 15 years, Carisi. Wait. That makes me sound like I don't have much self-esteem if I kept going back to an unavailable man."

"I'm completely available for you, carino. We made our mistakes. We both just needed to grow up."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," Izzy replied as she sat on the arm of his chair.

"You guys first met when you were 18?"

"I was a Senior in high school and he was in his first year at Harvard Law."

"We became friends because she still had a boyfriend and I had a girlfriend at the time but those relationships ended and things happened between us, off and on over the years. We worked together in Brooklyn and we picked up where we left off but…"

"On again, off again," Izzy chimed in. "It stayed that way until…well, until a few months back when he was supposed to get married."

"Yeah, I remember we were all sitting together and the minister came out to say the wedding had been canceled," Carisi added with a small laugh. 

"You know I was sitting in my dressing room when Liv of all people came in."

"What?" Izzy asked, astonished because this was not information that she had been made aware of.

"Yeah. Liv came in and I was sitting there. Your brother had went to get me a drink. Anyways, Benson came in and asked me if I was doing the right thing."

"I thought you said…"

"Oh, no. It happened the night before, too. I just thought if someone else was gonna ask me that question, it was gonna be Tony. Anyways, Liv and I started talking and I knew that while I wanted to get married, the girl in the other dressing room wasn't the girl I wanted to get married to."

Carisi and Izzy both looked at each other, neither believing what Rafael had just admitted.

"You…you think about that…with me?"

"Of course, Elizabeth. I love you. I have since I was 23. Do you have a problem with that?"

"Um, no, not at all," she replied as her cheeks got warm, signaling they were turning a slight shade of pink if not completely red.

"Good. Now, I need to continue helping Carisi."

"Yeah, of course. I'll leave you guys alone," she told him as she got up to leave his home office, not knowing he was hot on her heels.

"Hey."

"OH!! You scared me! I hate you having carpet!"

"Listen, I hope I didn't freak you out in there."

"Not at all, Rafa," the detective smiled.

"Good. Now, as soon as he's gone, you remember what you promised me."

"My ass," she muttered as she rolled her eyes.

"You're damn right," he told her as he sucked his bottom lip in between his teeth. "You said if I'd help your partner you'd…"

"I know what I said. I'll have the Astroglide ready."

"Good," he told her just above a whisper as he backed her against the hallway wall. "I'm going to give you…every…single…inch tonight."

A chill ran down the detective's body as the words left her boyfriend's lips.


	6. Chapter 6

"Okay, so she was found in a suitcase, basically left out for the trash," Amaro remarked regarding SVU's newest case.

"What do we know so far?" Benson asked.

"Just what she told us in the hospital, Sarge," Izzy answered as she turned her chair around to face her CO. "Fin and Carisi were going to talk to the uncle that gave her the tickets and she was supposed to be staying with."

"Okay, Rossetti, Amaro, go back to the hospital, talk to Madison. Her mom should be there by now, see what you guys can find out."

"Copy that," the two of them answered simultaneously before getting up from their desks to head out.

"So, how are things with you and Barba?" Nick asked once they got into the elevator.

"Pretty good," Izzy replied with a small smile. "How are you doing these days?"

"What does that mean?"

"You think I don't know what was going on with you and Amanda?"

"Was being the operative word."

"What did I tell you a long time ago?"

"I know, I know. Don't take anyone from the job home with you. You're one to talk," Amaro chuckled.

"Technically, Barba and I don't work together. He handles our cases."

"In a way, we work for him."

"Semantics," the senior detective shrugged as the door opened on the ground floor.

"If you say so."

The two of them loaded up into one the NYPD issued SUV's, with Izzy tossing Nick the keys.

After talking to their victim, Madison Baker, again, Nick and Izzy still had no more than they had before.

"So, she was at some this party with Scott Russo," Carisi told everyone as he and Fin walked into the bullpen.

"Who?" Izzy asked.

"Scott Russo? He's like in every movie out right now."

"Carisi you're wasting your time," Barba interrupted as he walked up. "If Robert Downey Jr or Leonardo DiCaprio isn't in it, your partner has no idea who people are these days."

"You know better," his girlfriend retorted as she rolled her eyes.

"Pardon me."

"You two have been partners all this time and you don't know her favorite movie?" Fin chuckled.

"No, I guess not," Carisi shrugged.

"She only quotes it 600 times a day," Amaro added.

Just then a uniformed officer came and dumped a stack of files on Izzy's desk.

"Ugh, I'm getting too old for this shit."

"Ah! See!!! Right there!!!" Rafael laughed as he sat on his girlfriend's desk.

"Ohhh!!! 'Lethal Weapon'," it finally dawned Carisi.

"1 and 2," Rossetti let him know.

"Is that why you became a cop? Because of Martin Riggs?"

"Somewhat but I worked as an EMT for about a year. Dealt with a lot of OD's, GSW's…got tired of seeing it. Not to mention, I grew up in a rough neighborhood," Izzy told her partner but she didn't go further into detail.

"Hey, guys, Scott Russo's manager, Lydia LaBassi is stonewalling us," Benson told them as she came out of her office. "Rossetti, Fin…"

"On it," Fin answered.

They went to the hotel to get the video footage but were told it was always picked up by someone else, posing as a member of the NYPD.

They took what video evidence they found to Barba who basically shut them down. Not that he was wanting to but he just didn't have a choice.

Liv ordered the squad to go door to door of the people that were at the party.

Skye Adderson, another actor Izzy wasn't familiar with wasn't much help either, except by telling them that he saw Madison leaving Scott's room.  
**************************************************************************  
LMZ actually showed footage of Madison leaving Scott's room and the squad figured out quickly who impersonated NYPD to get the video surveillance from the hotel where the party that Madison had met Scott at.

"How's work going?" Amanda asked as she had called Izzy to check in while she was still in Costa Rica.

"Ugh, it's such a long story. How's Costa Rica?"

"Really good. Yeah. I feel relaxed for the first time in…years actually."

"Good. Oh hey, Barba just walked in. Call me tomorrow?"

"You bet. Have fun."

"Bye, Rollins."

"Talking to your best friend while she's on vacation, huh?"

"She called me, Rafa. I didn't expect you here so early."

"Your other boyfriend supposed to show up?"

"Now, I'll have to text him and tell him not to."

"It was funny cause I was kidding but now…"

"Oh, stop," Izzy smiled as she got off her couch and wrapped her arms around the ADA's neck before planting a small kiss on his lips. "You want me to order some dinner?"

"Whatever sounds good, carino," he smiled as he loosened his tie and began rolling up his sleeves.

"You know what sounds good?"

"What's that?"

"You…me…shower…"she whispered as she kissed his neck slowly.

"You drive a hard bargain," he muttered as he rolled his eyes.

"Come with me," she smiled as she motioned for him to follow her.

Once the shower was hot enough for both of them to stand, she stepped in first with him following her, closing the door behind him.

She began to wash her body slowly with the Twisted Peppermint body wash from Bath and Body Works she loved while he stood behind her, letting what water would hit him on his body. 

Once she was rinsed, he wrapped his arms around the detective tightly as his erection grew against her ass.

Without a word, he slowly bent her toward the wall, which she positioned her hands on it. He took his hand to rub her clit slowly, making her knees weak at his small strokes before he began to enter her slowly from behind.

Inch by inch, he put his full length inside of her slowly before picking up his pace…especially at her insistence. She wanted him fast and hard inside of her, no matter how big he was.

Even with her hair being wet, Rafael grabbed a handful of it causing Izzy's pussy to pulsate around his cock, a clear signal she was coming. She cried his name, "Oh god", and "yes" the harder he went while she came and he followed soon behind her.

He rested his head against her back after pulling out of her while they came down from the high they had both enjoyed. It was something they both needed.


	7. Chapter 7

"So, she won't go to the rehab?" Izzy asked Rafael as they ate lunch in his office one snowy February afternoon. Just a couple of weeks before, his Abuelita had fell and fractured her pelvic bone which required a small surgery. The doctors had wanted her to go to a rehab facility to gain her strength back but she was steadfastly refusing.

"Mami's tried, I've tried. I don't know what to do anymore. Mami said she'd retire but she knows she can't. That school would shut down if she left."

"What about home care?"

"I was actually…I think it would be safer for her to move."

"She lives in a rented controlled apartment…"

"Yeah, I get it but $200 rent isn't enough to keep her safe. There's no elevator, the intercom works half the time. You've been there, you know the work out you get going to her apartment."

"I always figured that's half the reason your ass looks so good."

His green eyes narrowed as a small smile crept on his face. He knew his girlfriend was trying to get him to stop being so serious for a moment, which it worked. 

"I'm gonna talk to Mami about looking into a facility, maybe here in Manhattan."

"You think she'll go for that?"

"I have to try. It's just the three of us and…I just want her safe. I got her that life-alert thing which just sits on her dresser. At least if she was in a facility, I would know she was safe 24/7."

"I get it," she replied quietly with a nod. "Shit."

"What's up?"

"Carisi's texting me. Walter Briggs died this morning."

"You're kidding."

"And apparently his wife is trying to get the body out of the country via private jet from Westchester County."

"I can stop that. Tell Carisi to stall the pilots and give me 30 minutes, I'll get you a warrant."

"Then I guess I'm grabbing Carisi and heading to Westchester," she sighed as she closed the plastic container that held the Greek salad she had been eating, tossing it in his trash can before grabbing her coat and heading for the door.

"Excuse me?"

"What?"

"No kiss?"

She sort of chuckled as she shook her head and walked back to the ADA.

"Nope. Moment's passed," he told her as he turned his head.

"Fine."

"Okay, I’m bluffing," he groaned as he pulled her hand back to him, placing a soft, yet hard kiss on her pink lips. "Now, go. You have work to do. I'll email you the warrant."

"Love you, too," she called before waving to his assistant Carmen and heading to pick up Carisi.  
**********************************************************************  
"So, I met Barba's mother at Charmaine's arraignment," Liv told Rossetti as she walked up to the bullpen.

"Lucia? Yeah, she's a mess. I love her," Izzy sort of laughed. Over the years, she and Lucia Barba had always gotten along. It seemed every time Rafael and Izzy would break up, Lucia would take it just as hard.

"I drive you and Barba a little crazy, huh?"

Everyone just looked at Izzy, waiting on her response.

"You can't believe anything Lucia says. She's senile."

"Sure," Benson snickered.

"So, how'd it go?"

"Bail wasn't much considering the charges. She's probably posted it already."

"So now what?" Nick asked.

"We'll proceed to trial."

"Jesus Christ, this is just like Casey Kasem," Izzy muttered.

"You mean, 'America's Top 40 DJ?"

"Do you know of another Casey Kasem, Carisi? He was also the voice of Shaggy on 'Scooby Doo', back in the day, by the way."

"I sometimes wonder what your brain could actually posses if it wasn't for all the random trivia you throw out," Olivia chuckled before turning to head toward her office.

"I don't think any of us wanting Rossetti having too much power," Fin teased before getting hit with a wadded up piece of paper.

"Hey, if I was president, we would never be involved in any wars."

"Is that right?" Fin asked as he cocked his eyebrow.

"Damn right. I wouldn't drag us into war, just every 28 days there would be some intense negotiations."

At that, Rollins bowled over in laughter as the guys just threw their hands up or in Carisi's case, covered his face.

"You all have sisters, you know what we go through once a month," Amanda added.

"Oh, we sure do," Nick mumbled.

"You trying to say something, Amaro?"

"How long have I known you, Rossetti?"

"We were in uniform, I believe."

"With that being said, I prefer not to elaborate on my previous statement."

"Wise decision," his long time friend nodded in his direction. 

"What were you saying about Casey Kasem," Carisi interrupted.

"Last year, his wife took him from the nursing home he had been in while keeping him from his kids. One of his daughters got a restraining order to stop him from being cremated so an autopsy could be performed. She moved the body to Canada though. I had read that he was septic from a bedsore. When I was an EMT, we did a welfare check on this lady because the son she was living with wouldn't let his sister come see her. The woman had a bedsore so deep on her back, you could see her spine."

"Oh my god," Carisi whispered in disbelief. "Anything happen?"

"Oh yeah, I called the local precinct. He went to jail for elder abuse. He just wanted her there to collect her social security checks. I checked in on her like a month later and her daughter told me it was too late. No amount of antibiotics could cure the sepsis and she died three days after we took her to Mercy."

"What was harder, being an EMT or being a cop?" Rollins asked.

"It's apples and oranges, really, Rollins. I mean, maybe if I had stayed longer than a year, I could compare it better."  
*********************************************************************  
"So, she just went in her sleep?" Izzy asked Rafael after he showed up at her apartment a few hours after his Abuelita had passed away at her apartment.

Lucia and Rafael had agreed on a nursing home to move Lina into, even though she hated the idea, she had finally given in.

Lucia went to check on her that morning after she and Izzy had spent the day before helping Lina pack up a few things that she could take for her new room. Lucia found her mother in her bed, cold, after she hadn't buzzed her in.

"Best the coroner could tell," he replied quietly as he sipped the scotch she had poured for him. "She said she wanted to die in her home."

"And she did," Izzy added as she took his empty hand in hers.

"She died so mad at me."

"What makes you say that?"

"I was making her leave her home. Yeah, I know Mami agreed but I…I could've moved her in here. I could've moved my home office into the living room, at least part of it."

"She wasn't mad at you."

"Yes, she was."

"Yesterday, when I was helping her back a few photo albums, she was showing me pictures of you that I can't believe as many times as we've been together I had never seen, but she told me you got your stubbornness from her and while she wasn't happy about leaving the apartment that she shared so many memories in, she knew you just wanted what was best for her."

"You're lying."

"I'm really not. Those were her exact words."

Rafael wanted to believe his girlfriend but he knew one of the last conversations with his Abuelita said otherwise.

"I'm gonna get ready for bed. Mami and I are gonna go make the arrangements in the morning."

"You want me to come with you?"

"Nah. Just go to work. I'll be in the office sometime."

"Okay."

He got up from the table and kissed her on the top of her head before heading to the bedroom. She picked up the two glasses and took them to the kitchen to wash them. From the kitchen, she heard what she was sure was glass shattering against the wall of his home office.

"Rafa?"

"Just leave me alone," he told her quietly as he sat on his desk with his head hanging.

She slowly moved toward him.

"I said leave me alone."

"You know I can't do that. I didn't do it with your dad and I'm not gonna do it now."

She walked in front of him, positioning herself between his dangling legs and wrapped her arms around neck.

For a moment, he seemed to be carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders but when she began lightly running her hand through his hair, much like Lina would do when he was a child, his body relaxed and he just sobbed against her neck.

Elizabeth Rossetti didn't care if she had to stand there all night, she was going to comfort him anyway she could and that he would allow.


	8. Chapter 8

"How was the service," Amanda asked Izzy as she sat at her desk upon returning from Chicago to attend the funeral of Erin's former roommate, Nadia DeCotis.

"Uh, it was nice," she answered while she waited on her computer to boot up. "Barba said Yates' trial is being fast-tracked."

"Upon request from the Mayor himself," Nick answered as he walked up with a cup of coffee.

"Well, he's basically getting off on any murder he committed in Chicago and the greater Mid-West. Why waste the taxpayer's money by letting him just sit in jail?" Carisi added.

"Guys, can we just…you know…not, right now?"

"Yeah, sure, Izz," Amanda agreed with a small smile.

"Rossetti can I see you in my office?" Liv asked as she whizzed passed the detective's desks.

"Right behind you."

Once Liv set her things down and the door was closed, she told Izzy to take a seat.

"So, how are you doing?"

"I'm fine, Liv."

"I know Nadia was your friend, too."

"I just knew her threw Erin."

"Like you knew Shay threw Gabby and you still took that kind of hard. I mean, you had spoken to Nadia the day Yates took her."

"She was making sure I was gonna be out there to celebrate Erin's birthday and then all this popped off with him so…it just sucks, Sarge. She really crawled from the bottom and was making her way to the top. You know, Erin met her by arresting her. Erin's the one that got her help."

"So, you're not just upset about Nadia but you're concerned about Erin."

"Erin came from the streets before Hank and his wife took her in. When bad things happen in her life, I'm talking traumatic, she spirals. When Camille died, Hank had to save her job because she took it really hard. She doesn't always know how to process things."

"Have you suggested her seeing someone?"

"A shrink? That's like getting Amanda to see one. She doesn't go for the whole psychiatry, chemically altering her brain by prescription."

"I see. You and I both go to therapy."

"And yeah, I know I take Xanax to deal with my anxiety but…"

"Seeing Nadia wrapped in that tarp and I'm sure she's read the ME's report, that's traumatic in itself."

"She's gonna stay with me during the trial so I can sort of keep an eye on her while she's here."

"That's good. A little unethical, unless Barba calls the two of you on the same day," Liv sort of chuckled.

"I'm sure I can convince him. Heard he and Voight didn't mesh very well."

"Pssh, that's one way of putting it. I get CPD and especially Hank Voight do things differently, but your boyfriend is the last person I would second guess."

"But you have how many times since he's been working with us?"

"I know," Liv remarked as she held her hand up. "But in my defense, I'm not second guessing him. Just…reaffirming."

"If you say so. Listen, Liv I promise I'm okay."

"If anything changes with you, I expect to be the first to know about it."

"You will. Changing the subject, heard you're being tapped for Lieutenant."

"I am. Tucker also told me that, granted I pass the exam, I need to think about a number 2," Benson smirked with an eyebrow raised.

"What? Who? Me? Fin's been…"

"I already asked him. Not interested. You're Detective First Grade and have the third most seniority here."

Izzy knew Liv wanted an answer but this wasn't one to be taken lightly. "Can I think about it, Sarge?"

"Of course. The Sergeant's exam isn't until summer anyways. You've got time."

"Thanks. So, are we…"

"Yeah, we're done. Glad you're back."

"Me, too."  
*******************************************************************************  
"Really? Liv wants you to take the Sergeant's exam?" Rafael asked his girlfriend as they sat on her couch; him taking a much needed break from working on the Yates case and she eating leftover pizza.

"Like you don’t already know."

"Oh, I knew," he snickered. "Just wanted to see if you'd tell me."

"What do you mean?"

"If you didn't tell me, then that means you're not giving it a second thought but since you did tell me, that means that you are considering it. That's how well I know you."

"Whatever," she replied with a mouth full of pizza and an eye roll. "Minimally. I'm not sure really what to think about it."

"You've earned that opportunity just as much as anyone else."

"Maybe but Fin…"

"Has no interest in moving up. That's what he told Liv."

"I don't know though."

"I thought that was always the plan."

"Huh?"

"When we dated for the third or thirteenth time back in 2005, you had said, you wanted to eventually move up."

"Well, I have. I was Detective Third Grade back then, now I'm First."

"That's not what you meant and I know that. You want your name on a door just like I have."

"I just still don't think it's the right time."

"Well, I'm not going to push you about it. It's your decision and as long as your happy with whichever direction you choose, I'm right behind you."

"Thanks, Rafa," she told him with a small smile.

"You have some sauce in the corner of your lip."

"Where?"

He started laughing as he watched move her tongue all around her mouth trying to find the pizza sauce but missed it every time.

"Stop laughing and help me," she pleaded through her own laughter.

"Come here," he said as he took his thumb and wiped the spot gently before moving his thumb across her bottom lip slowly.

The sound of the TV just seemed to fade away as he slowly leaned into her, back onto her couch. He managed to kick his files off her coffee table but wasn't giving it a second thought because he needed her, he wanted her in that very moment, and he was going to have her.

After 20 minutes of amazing sex, they put their pajamas back on and she helped him picked up the files.

"And you're getting your way."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm calling you and Erin on the same day. I know she's gonna be staying with you and if Yates' attorney got wind of that if you two testified on different days, there's reasonable doubt right there."

"Well, thank you, honey," she smiled as she placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Oh, you owe me more than that."

"Exchanging sexual favors for being called during a trial? I would call that unethical."

"Baby, you can start an IV, you can interrogate the hell out of someone, but let me do the lawyering," the ADA teased.

He could be such a smartass and that was just one of the reason's Izzy loved him.

"Thank you, though, really."

"You guys both knew her on a personal level so putting the two of you on the stand on the same day just makes more sense. I mean, you two are really the only character witnesses I have. Everyone else is testifying about the crimes and yeah, you will to a point as well but you get what I'm saying."

"Yeah, I get it."

"Good. Now, why don't you get that sexy ass to bed?"

"When will you join me?"

"When Murtaugh gets out of my spot."

"Your spot?"

"Hey, I bought him for you 5 years ago but I was here first."

"Whatever you say," she chuckled as she bent down to kiss him.

"Hey."

"Yeah."

"I love you…so much," he told her as his green eyes stared deep into her brown ones.

"I love you, too, Rafa."

"I know and I know I was sort of unbearable for a little while. I'm just glad you didn't give up on me this time."

"Never again," the detective replied quietly as she ran her hand through his hair and softly around his face. "Try not to stay up too late."

"Do my best, mi amor. Te quiero."

"Back at ya."

He watched as she rounded the corner, heading to her bedroom in her favorite blue plaid pj bottoms and FDNY t-shirt and all he could do was smile. After the death of his grandmother, SVU didn't seem to have much of break which didn't give him a lot of time to mourn and at times they would fight over the stupidest things which would end up with one of them storming out, depending on whose apartment they were at and not speaking but through text or at work.

She had been scared that he was pushing her away like he done in the past but the first time he sent her a dozen of the dyed rainbow roses that he knew she loved, that fear went away. Anytime he had pushed her away in the past, flowers were never in the equation to say he was sorry.

Even still, she allowed him his space and it wasn't long after they had to deal a dentist that had drugged and raped his own niece, things started getting better again, and soon everything with them was right back in place.  
*********************************************************************  
"Detective Rossetti, you knew Miss DeCotis on a personal level, is that correct?" Dr. Gregory Yates, who was acting as his own attorney, asked after Rafael had questioned her.

"Somewhat."

"Yes or no."

"Your honor?" She grumbled to Judge Barth, already aggravated with Yates' line of questioning.

"Just answer the question, detective," Elena replied lightly. She, like the rest of the people on the right of the law were growing tired with the doctor trying to act like a lawyer and not listening to his own when it came to questioning witnesses.

"Yes, I did."

"Would you say she was happy?"

"Very. I didn't speak to her much but anytime I visited Chicago, she was in a good mood, working hard to get into the police academy."

"Uh-huh and you know Detective Lindsay how?"

"Objection."

"I'm just asking a simple question, your honor."

Barth did everything she could not to roll her eyes before overruling Rafael's objection.

"We were roommates in college."

"So, you frequently visit Chicago?"

"Not as much as I used to but yes."

"Did the three of you go out together?"

"Not really. Nadia was committed to her recovery. She would go to a meeting while Detective Lindsay and I might go have a couple of drinks at a bar."

"Can you be sure she was going to meetings?"

"We picked her up from a few during some of my visits."

"Drinking and driving, detective?"

"We'd pick her up in an Uber, Dr. Yates. One more than one occasion, the car would take us back to pick Detective Lindsay's car so Nadia could drive us home."

"You spoke with her the day she left with me."

"You mean you the day you kidnapped her?"

"Objection."

"She's your witness, Dr. Yates."

"That's not the question I asked."

"The jury will disregard the detective's answer and she will rephrase it."

"Yes, I spoke to her."

"And how did she sound?"

"Happy. She was throwing a surprise party for Erin and was confirming I had a flight to Chicago."

"She never told you that you shouldn't bother coming?"

"No. She said, if I was too busy, we both knew Erin would understand."

"And that didn't set off any red flags?"

"No," the detective remarked, her agitation growing with each question. "I told her I had a flight the next day to come out for the weekend."

Dr. Yates just sort of nodded his head. 

"Your honor, does Dr. Yates have anymore questions for this witness or is he…"

"I do have one more question, Mr. Barba. Detective Rossetti, what's your relationship with the ADA?"

"Objection!"

"Sustained. You're done, Dr. Yates," Barth told the doctor.

"Okey-doke," he replied as he just walked back to the defense table.

Yates' questioning of Erin was awful but he was able to ask questions about Nadia's background, no matter how seedy it might have been. It was Erin that arrested Nadia but she also helped her get clean. Rafael had already established that in his questioning. 

Once Yates' was finished with Erin, Barth called a recess.

"I tried my best but he just made her sound so…" Erin started telling Hank as they stood in the hall of the courthouse.

"Erin it's not on you. You just gonna let him get away with smearing Nadia like that?" Voight asked Rafael as he walked up to him.

"The judge set a limit to how far he can go. When he exceeds it, I'll object."

"You'll object?"

"Is there a problem?"

"There shouldn't be. He's a murderer and a rapist."

"We all know that, but no offense to your legal acumen, the jury isn't privy to what we know. They all see the same charming man whose smile lured dozens of women to their deaths," he told the CPD Sergeant before walking over to Liv.

"Erin, Jay, why don't we go grab something to eat?" Izzy offered.

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Detective Halstead agreed.

"I mean, we've all testified so we're basically done for the day."

"You gonna be okay, kid?"

"Yeah, Hank. I'll be fine," Erin told him.

"Okay. Take care of our girl, Rossetti."

"Just like I always have, Hank. Let's go, guys."

The three of them went to lunch at a sports bar in Brooklyn that Izzy and Erin used to frequent in college, which Erin couldn't believe was still opened.

After burgers and a couple of beers, Izzy tried to get Erin to head back to the Brooklyn Heights apartment they shared for years.

"Come on. I need to get my mind off of things for awhile," Erin told her before heading to the bar.

"You know her better than anyone, Izz. She gonna be okay?"

"I really don't know, Jay. When Hank's wife died, she took it hard but this…I really can't say."

"Alright, three shots of Patron."

"Come on, Lindsay, it's in the middle of the afternoon."

"What are you, my babysitter, Halstead? Come on, Izz."

"No, no. None for me."

"Fine. I'll do all three of them."

No matter how much Jay and Izzy practically begged Erin, she wouldn't stop drinking. When she could barely walk, they finally got her out of the bar and into Izzy's Jeep.

Jay practically carried Erin into the apartment and Erin's old room.

Izzy helped her get in pajamas, gave her some Excedrin and water while Jay went into the kitchen to find a stockpot in case Erin got sick.

"You don't have to run off, Jay," Izzy sort of chuckled.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Here," she told him as she handed him a beer.

"Thanks. So, this is where Erin lived in college."

"Yep. We were roomed together our Freshman year and then I begged my parents while she begged Hank and Camille to let us move off campus. We found this place and it was surprisingly cheap. Still is."

"Rent controlled, huh?"

"Yep. I pay $750 a month."

"Must be nice."

"I can buy a lot more shoes than Amanda," she chuckled.

"What's her story?"

"Moved up here from Atlanta PD about three years ago. Single. Nice."

"So, you think your boyfriend will be able to get Yates?"

"I'm sure he has a few tricks up his sleeve. He won't let the son of a bitch walk."

"Good."

Jay and Izzy visited a little while longer before he headed back to his hotel. She wondered to herself why Erin kept him at arms length the way she did. He seemed to genuinely care about her, he was nice, not to mention not hard on the eyes. 

Izzy was right. When Yates' claimed in his own testimony that Nadia was a prostitute and when he "rescued" her and brought her to New York, she went looking for a fix and that he was afraid she would prostitute herself for drugs; even though she had over $2,000 in her savings account.

He recalled ME Melinda Warner to refute Yates' accusations. When questioning Melinda, Rafael subtly held up the autopsy pictures of Nadia, knowing what the pictures would do to Yates. He practically got off on them.

It didn't take the jury long to find him guilty. It was more than obvious that even Yates' own lawyer along with everyone else in that courtroom were creeped out by the doctor.

After meeting for drinks, Rafael was taking his girlfriend out for a long overdue dinner alone.

"That was smart, Rafa."

"We all knew he was a creep. I honestly thought he was gonna have an orgasm when he was looking at those pictures. I could see it all over his face that practically turned him on."

"The jury obviously did, too. 20 minutes? Is that your record?"

"No. 14 minutes, 2007."

"Oh, yeah, that's right. The witness died that night, too, didn't she?"

"Marianna Abreu? Yeah. Overdose," he remembered quietly.

"Didn't she have a daughter?"

"She was 10 at the time. I think she went to live with her grandmother after that."

"Shit."

"What is it?"

"Liv's calling."

"I told her…"

"Just one second, okay? Hey, Sarge. What's up?"

"I know you and Barba are at dinner but when you finish, can you swing by the office?"

"Is everything okay? Do I need to…"

"No, no. Take your time. Just when you get finished."

"Yeah, sure. No problem."

"Thanks."

"What did she want?"

"She wants me to come back by the office when we get finished."

"Do you need to go now?"

"She said for me to take my time."

"Good," he replied with a small smile.

"What were we talking about?"

"How about no more work? Why don't we take a vacation?"

"A vacation? Are you serious?"

"Why not? When was the last time we went anywhere alone?" He asked with a shrug. "I know you have plenty of time banked as do I and after these last few months, I think we could use it."

"Where were you thinking?"

He thought for a second before taking another bite of his steak. "Somewhere tropical. St. Barts? The Bahamas?"

"That's actually hard to say no to," she smiled. "I'll talk to Liv when I go to the office."

Once Izzy got to the office, everyone but Liv and Hank were gone.

"Hey."

"Hey, kid," Hank said with a smile.

"Everything okay?"

"Why don't you have a seat?" Liv asked as she motioned toward a chair.

"Okay? What's going on?"

"You and I both know that Erin is gonna take this hard, no matter the fact that Yates is going away for life I'm sure."

"I know, Hank."

"Her mother has been coming back around and you and I both know how Bunny is."

"She preys on Erin when she's most vulnerable but what can I do about that here?"

Liv took a deep breath. "You are being detailed to CPD Intelligence."

"What? For how long?"

"A couple of weeks. A month. I just need you to…"

"Babysit Erin," Izzy interrupted Hank.

"I don't want her spiraling and Bunny will do everything she can to make sure that happens."

"Can we do this, Liv?"

"Chief Dodds called Commander Fischer, he pulled some strings. You will turn in your NYPD badge and be given a CPD Star when you arrive, you will receive the same amount of pay as you do here."

"And when am I supposed to leave?"

"Tomorrow," Liv answered as she handed her a plane ticket.

"I'm guessing I don't get much say in this."

"Hey, if you don't want to do it, we can't make you. I just would think that you'd want Erin safe," Hank told her.

The detective sat for a minute. She and Rafael had just started talking about going on vacation and now she was being detailed to Chicago.

"I'll go start packing."

"Great. I'll meet you at JFK in the morning," Hank told her before she got up and exited Liv's office.


	9. Chapter 9

It was Izzy's first day as a "member" of CPD. Hank had cleared a desk for her and was officially partnering her with Antonio, which she wasn't sure how she was gonna break that news to Rafael.

Erin was in the kitchen, pouring herself a cup of coffee when she spotted photos of her and Nadia on her fridge. 

"You sure you're ready to go back to work?"

"Huh? Yeah. I'm fine," Erin told her friend as she walked back to the kitchen counter. "You know, you don't have to do this."

"Do what?"

"Like I don't know what your 'special detail' is. It's really unnecessary."

"When Voight sends me home, I'll leave. Simple as that."

"Fine. We need to get going."

"I'm following you."

When the two of them walked into the 21st District, Desk Sergeant Trudy Platt informed Erin that she was working on getting a memorial stone for Nadia and started tearing up, which was unusual for Platt.

"We need to get upstairs," Erin told her, as she grew uncomfortable with Trudy's small but emotional display.

The guys were standing around, having packed up Nadia's desk. Erin told them she would get the stuff to Nadia's dad before Hank walked out and told them they had an assignment. 

A bomb had went off in a café so Antonio and Izzy went to Chicago Med to interview the cook.

"Barba know you're partnered with me?"

"Not yet. I've only been here two days. This is my first official day on the job. We might not be partnered that long."

"Think you'll get tired of me that quick, huh?"

"I just have a feeling that I'm gonna be partnered with Erin eventually. I'm here to keep an eye on her, after all."

"How's she doing?"

"She's shutting down. I can see it in her eyes, hear it in her voice. I just hope she snaps out of it."

"Don't think that she's your responsibility. You're here as support, nothing more from what I understand. No matter what it is, she's gonna do what she's gonna do, regardless if you're here or not. You know her all too well to think you can stop her from doing something she doesn’t want to."

"We'll see, I guess," she sort of shrugged as they walked into the hospital.

After they talked to the cook, they headed back to the district while Erin and Adam Ruzek went to talk to some neighborhood muscle.

"Rossetti, how's Chicago PD treating you?" The tall, lanky Commander Fischer asked when she walked downstairs to go with Halstead to talk to a witness.

"Um, so far, so good, Commander."

"Good. If you need anything, you can find me at the Ivory Tower."

"Thanks. Halstead?"

"Yep, let's head out."

Once they talked to the young witness and Jay handed her a full-scholarship to the Catholic school he attended so she wouldn't be in fear of retribution, again they headed back to the 21st. 

After going through more information about the building owner, Erin and Jay, Izzy and Antonio went to stake out his apartment building. The man was on parole and his parole officer was even waiting on him.

They were led in high speed chase, which ended with Izzy and Antonio dragging Sam Carden out of his wrecked Chevy into their car.

Kevin Atwater and Antonio had took him into an interrogation room, with Kevin bringing him a soda. While the rest of the squad was discussing other specifics of the case, Hank decided to go get Sam to take him to the cage. However, he had taken the soda can and slit his throat.

Izzy, using her EMT skills used her over shirt but it was too late, she couldn't stop the bleeding.

"Why don't you head back to Erin's and wash up?"

"I've got clothes in my locker, Hank. I can take a quick shower…"

"Rossetti, you're out. You've done a good job. We can finish this up."

"Okay, yeah."

"I'll see you at home," Erin told her as Izzy grabbed her bag, clothes covered in Sam Carden's blood. It wasn't the first time she was covered in blood that wasn't hers and she knew if she was going to take the Sergeant's exam in the summer, it wouldn't be the last.

"I was thinking maybe I could come to Chicago and see you this weekend," Rafael told her over the phone.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I could get us a room, we could spend some time alone. Surely, Lindsay doesn't need you 24/7."

"Are you kidding, she's been trying to shake me since I got here."

"She's always been tough."

"Yeah but in all the years I've known her, this is something different. It's like she's not there. I mean she is, but she isn't."

"She's grieving, carino. There's no set amount of time for someone…"

"Yeah, I know. So, you come out this weekend, get us a room, and then we'll…"

"Oh, I can think of a few things."

"Have you not checked your calendar?"

"Is it that time really?"

"Fraid so but isn't that a good thing?"

"I know, I know. We can still spend time together and you can always do something for me."

"Oh, I might."

"Okay, so, I'll let you know as soon as I get a flight out."

"Sounds great."

"You're smiling, aren't you?"

"What do you mean, Rafa?"

"I can always tell when you're smiling over the phone."

"You think you know me so well, don't you?"

"I know I do."

"ANYWAYS, I'll see you this weekend. I'm gonna go meet Gabby at Molly's for a few drinks. Jay text me and said everyone else was gonna be there, too."

"Stay away from Antonio."

"Hush."

"I'll come out there tonight if I have to."

"You're a moron. I'll call you tomorrow."

"Okay. I love you."

"Love you, too."

Once she was dressed, she headed out of the apartment and to the bar Gabby was part owner of.

"There she is!!" Gabby exclaimed as she came from behind the bar to hug her friend. "It's about time I got to see you."

"I've been working and so have you," Izzy laughed once they broke apart. "Now get me a drink."

"Scotch?"

"Best you've got."

"And…it's on the house."

"Wait, what?" Christopher Hermann, another member of Firehouse 51 and owner of Molly's asked as he came out of the back.

"Anytime you hear 'free', do you just pounce?" Izzy asked.

"When it comes to my expensive booze, I have ears like a bat."

"I was gonna compare them to something else."

"You're a smartass just like Gabby. I can't imagine what you two were like growing up."

The two of them laughed as Hermann went to the back to get some more bottled beers.

"I see he never changes."

"Of course not. So, Barba okay with you being partnered with my brother?"

"He knows it's different out here than back home; how everyone sort of rotates around on an hourly basis."

"You think you could talk him into finding a job out here…"

"Gabby."

"Okay. I was just asking."

"Why don't you move home? Casey would love New York and even though Dad's retired, he could get you guys jobs."

"We love it here," Gabby smiled.

"Hey, Rossetti."

"Oh, shit," she muttered when she heard the voice calling her name. "What's up, Severide?"

"Not much. Heard you got detailed out here. What did you do? Piss someone off in the NYPD?"

"I make it my mission in life to piss off at least one person a day. So far, I'm four years ahead of schedule so that can't be it."

"Hey, Dawson, her next drink is on me."

"Her next drink is $27."

"And?"

"Are you already drunk, Kelly?" Izzy asked him as he leaned on the bar.

"Nah. Just had a few at the apartment before I decided to come here."

"I'll buy him a cup of coffee since he's buying me an almost $30 shot of scotch."

"I need some of that scotch."

"Hey, Severide, why don't we let these two catch up," Matt suggested as he walked up and grabbed Kelly's shoulders to lead him away.

"Hey, I want to talk to you before you leave," he sort of slurred as he followed Matt to a table while pointing at Izzy.

"He still staying with you and Casey?"

"Ugh, yeah. You know, I'm trying to be sympathetic but he makes it hard."

"What happened to that girl he married in Vegas?"

"That was annulled and she moved home to Florida. Honestly, in a way, that did help him deal with some of the stuff from Shay but finding out it was actual arson, I think that helped even more."

"I can't believe that son of a bitch had you trapped in that elevator…"

"Until I showed up," Antonio chuckled as he walked up.

"My big brother to save the day."

"Where's Erin?" Jay asked as he scanned the bar.

"She didn't come with you?"

"I figured she'd come with you."

"By the time I left, she hadn't made it home. I just assumed she'd come with you."

Jay just sort of looked confused for a minute. "Maybe she went to ship that stuff to Nadia's dad before coming."

Adam Ruzek, Kim Burgess, Sean Roman, and Kevin all soon filed in but no Erin.  
******************************************************************  
"So, this is Molly's?" Rafael asked when he and Izzy went to the bar after having dinner in downtown Chicago.

"Yep. Gabby, Chris Hermann, and uh, Otis own this."

"So, it's a firefighter bar."

"Cops come here, too. See? There's Antonio and Atwater."

"Antonio. Perfect," he muttered under his breath.

"We can find our own table or sit at the bar."

"Hey, guys," Gabby smiled when she saw them.

"We can sit at the bar," Rafael told his girlfriend.

"Gabby Dawson, you remember Rafael Barba."

"Of course. Nice to see you again, Barba."

"Yeah, you, too, Gabby. She and Erin been behaving?"

"I told him that we have but…"

"She's telling you the truth. We haven't seen Erin in here all week."

"Well, that makes me feel a little better."

They ordered two glasses of the same scotch she had a few nights earlier.

"So, what shall we do after this?"

"I thought we could go back to the room, I could get undressed, you could…get on your knees," he whispered in her ear, causing her to giggle like a school girl.

"Rafa."

"What? Just because you can't…"

"I didn't say I wouldn't. I just thought that maybe you might want to see a little bit of Chicago."

"I can do that tomorrow and I've been here before."

"But not with me."

"You know the room does that have Jacuzzi tub. We could just relax."

"That sounds nice."

"Then you could get on your knees and…"

"Rafael!"

"Pray! I was gonna say pray."

"You are such a liar."

The two of them laughed and just enjoyed the time they were spending together.

"So, this is the lawyer, huh."

"Ah, Adam Ruzek, Kim Burgess, this is ADA Rafael Barba," Izzy introduced them when Adam and Kim walked up.

"Nice to meet you, man. Yeah, thanks for getting justice for Nadia."

"Was just doing my job, Officer, but thank you."

"You guys want to join us?" Kim asked.

"He's only in town for the weekend, guys, but…"

"Hey, no problem. It was nice to meet you. We'll see you Monday, Rossetti," Adam smiled before they walked away.

"I thought Voight didn't go for in house romances."

"Kim took a shotgun blast to the face a while back and so he just kind of loosened up a little on that kind of stuff from what Erin told me."

"Oh, I see. Remember the first time you got shot?"

"2004. Bullet went right through my arm…"

"Your brother called and it felt like the floor went out from under me."

"It wasn't that bad, though."

"But he didn't know that at the time he called me. I just picked up everything and got to the hospital as fast as I could. Then there you were, higher than a damn kite."

"I was feeling pretty good," she admitted.

"I think that's something that's always caused me to push you away sometimes."

"What do you mean?"

"How many people do you know that have given their lives for the job?"

"Too many."

"I've always been scared that you were gonna be one of them. I guess sometimes, I felt it easier to keep you at arms length than to open up completely than lose you forever."

"I can't promise that something won't happen…"

"I know that but even though it scares me to think that, it scares me even more to think I could live my life without loving someone as incredible as you."

She wasn't sure if it was the scotch, his words, the look on his face, or what but tears filled her eyes.

"Everything okay?" Gabby asked when she came back with two more drinks and saw her best friend wiping her eyes. "You didn't just propose did you?"

"No, nothing like that, Dawson," Izzy chuckled as she dried her face. "Everything's fine. It's better than fine. You buying this round?"

"Pssh. He's the one with the money and you don't sleep with me."

"She's not sleeping with me either."

"Barba!"

"What?" He asked as he held up his arm to protect himself from a hit. "We can't do anything right now so I'm not lying."

"I think you've had enough to drink."

"It's possible," he agreed as he finished off the one Gabby had just sat down in front of him. "Bring us the tab, Gabby, please."

"No problem, Counselor."  
*************************************************************************  
"What did you say this guy's name was?" Hank asked Izzy who was standing in his office one morning during her third week in Chicago.

"Landon Vanick. I mean, I came out of the room and he and Erin were on her couch…"

"Okay, I get the picture. The name sounds familiar. I'll do some checking. You sure you saw pills on the table?"

"Absolutely. I just don't know what they were. Could've been nothing."

"You and I both know that's not true. She's been continuously late and this case with Commander Perry's nephew is crucial. I asked her if I could depend on her."

"I know she's grieving but, I followed her the other night. I know where she goes when I go back to the apartment or we go to Molly's."

"I'm guessing the bar Bunny works at."

"Yeah. Just like that night she didn't show up at Molly's and the next morning she was late but she never came home. She swore that she was just in the bathroom throwing up. Hank, I checked. She was nowhere to be found. I had Mouse track her phone's pings and the address she was at was her mother's."

"Jesus Christ. I brought you out here to keep this from happening."

"Are you blaming me…"

"No. No, of course not. I just thought if you were here, she'd know she wasn't alone, and wouldn't resort to old behaviors. Go catch up with Halstead and see where they are on the Jackson Park crew. I'll see what I can find out about this Landon Vanick character."

"No problem, Sarge. You got it."

"Listen, I'm glad you're here but at the end of the day, Erin is gonna do what Erin is gonna do."

"I know that."

"We'll figure this out, kid. I promise."

Elizabeth Rossetti nodded before she headed out to find Jay.

Bringing down corrupt cops was something Izzy was too familiar with but when Erin shot one of the officers in the arm, the case escalated.

"I didn’t sign up for this shit. I didn't sign up for any of it at all for that matter," Izzy grumbled as she put her things in her locker.

"You work SVU, Rossetti. You've dealt with worse."

"It's not that, Ruzek. Just…forget I said anything."

"You coming to Molly's tonight?"

"Nah. I'm gonna go back to Erin's and call Barba. I haven't talked to him in a couple of days."

"One of those calls, huh?"

"How old are you, again?"

Adam just sort of laughed as he bid Izzy good-bye before she walked out of the locker room.

She walked into Erin's apartment to the smell of marijuana smoke and loud music.

"Erin? Erin!"

"Oh, hey! What are you doing here?"

"I've been staying here for the last couple of weeks?"

"No, I just thought you might go to Molly's tonight."

"Didn't feel like it."

"You remember Landon, right?"

"Sure."

"Hey," he smiled what could only be described as the smile someone completely high.

"You seriously smoking pot, Erin?"

"No. I'm not stupid."

"You remember you have a drug test first thing in the morning."

"Yeah, I remember, Hank. God. Does everyone think I'm incompetent now?"

"We're just worried about you."

"Well, I'm a big girl and like I said when you came out here, I can take care of myself."

"You bet. You know, I think I'm gonna call Gabby and see if I can crash with her and Matt tonight."

"Watch out for Severide."

Izzy sort of rolled her eyes as she text Gabby and walked into the guest bedroom. Gabby texted back that she was more than welcome to come stay with them for as long as she wanted so she gathered a couple of days worth of clothes, her bath and body works things, make-up, etc. and headed out without so much as a "bye" to Erin.

"Should we do something?" Gabby asked as the two of them sat on her couch drinking beers.

"I don't know what we can do at this point, Gabby. She won't listen to me. Just like NYPD, the CPD has a rule that when you fire your gun, you have to give a urine sample. We have to do it ASAP whereas CPD gives you 12 hours but there's no telling what she has in her system that won't be out in 12 hours."

"Jesus. Reminds me of that time she spiraled in college when her mother showed up."

"She almost lost her scholarship and got put on academic probation. We pulled her ass out of the fire on that one but I don't think we can this time."

"Hey, ladies, we got pizza," Matt announced as he and Kelly walked in.  
�"And more beer," Severide added.

"I'll be safe out here on the couch right?" Izzy jokingly whispered to Gabby as the guys sat everything down.

The four of them ate the pizza, drank a few beers before Gabby and Matt headed to bed. Izzy went and changed into an old Journey shirt she had bought at a second hand store in Brooklyn years ago and a pair of striped pj pants before fixing the bedding Gabby had given her on the couch and grabbing her phone to call Rafael.

"Maybe it's time for you to pack it up," he told his girlfriend after she told him that Erin just seemed to be getting worse as the days wore on.

"I'm starting to think you're right. I mean, we got the Johnny D trial coming up and we have to start prepping for that."

"Well, I was kind of thinking we could finally take that vacation before we start all that," he sort of chuckled.

"We might need it after that."

"Well, we can go somewhere else after that trial. Maybe Paris."

"You have a lot of money I don't know about, Counselor?"

"Like you haven't ran my financials before?"

"Not once. Why? Have you had mine ran?"

"Of course not. I just know how tight you are with your money; except when it comes to Bath and Body Works."

"At least I don't have an addiction to expensive purses and stuff."

"You do have a few pairs of Manolo's in your closet, along with quite a few pieces of Prada, D&G…"

"Okay, I get your point, but see I do have this boyfriend that takes me nice places sometimes so I can't just wear any old thing."

"He must really like you."

"So, he says. He's only came to see me once since I've been out here."

"You know I've been busy."

"I'm just giving you a hard time."

"Speaking of, I'll be glad when you get home."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah cause I'm gonna give you a hard time."

All she could do was laugh. He was so educated, so cultured, but still could act like a horny teenaged boy.

They talked for about 15 more minutes before saying good-bye and Izzy being startled by Kelly.

"Sorry, wasn't eavesdropping. Just coming to get a bottle of water."

"Oh, no worries."

"Boyfriend?"

"Yep."

"Must be hard, him being there and you being here. Imagine you've been lonely."

"Not that lonely, Kelly."

"I wasn't…that's not what I was getting at," he chuckled.

"Oh," she replied quietly and slightly embarrassed.

"Mind if I sit?"

"It's your place?"

"Technically it's Matt and Gabby's. So, how long have you two been together?"

"Off and on for about 15 years."

"15 years? Wow. Not married yet?"

"We've never gotten that far."

"You or him?"

"Both of us, I guess."

"What about now?"

"We're not getting any younger but we're not even talking about moving in together. We like things the way they are. For the first time, it honestly feels like there's not anything that could screw things up, not even us."

"Good for you."

"What about you?"

"Maybe one day. If I can find the right girl."

"She's out there, Severide. You'll know it when you meet her."

"There was a time I thought I did."

"Yeah?"

"I was in the academy in with her. Stella Kidd. She was…she was the most badass woman I had ever met. One night, I decide to show up, repel down from her skylight actually, rose in my mouth, singing Sinatra's 'This Love of Mine' with a 6 pack in hand."

"That's sweet."

"Yeah, not so sweet when her husband came out."

"You're kidding!"

"Nope," Kelly laughed. "I had no idea she was married cause you can't wear jewelry at the academy and of course, I never thought to ask her. Luckily, she talked her husband out of pressing charges against me."

"You got lucky."

"You're not kidding. I still think about her from time to time, though."

"Maybe you should check in on her. She may not be married anymore."

"Eh," he shrugged. "Well, good night, Rossetti."

"Night, Severide."  
******************************************************************  
"Rossetti?"

"Yeah, Sarge?"

"Let's take a ride," Voight said as he practically power walked by the desk Izzy was sitting at.

She sort of looked at Al and Antonio, neither of them knowing what was going on.

"Where are we going?"

"You see what time it is?"

"11:15."

"And where's Erin?"

"She was still asleep when I left this morning."

"Uh-huh. One guess where she is."

They got in Hank's Escalade and drove to the dive bar Bunny Fletcher worked at. Lo and behold, there was Erin sitting at the bar, nursing a beer.

"Little early, don't you think?" Hank asked her.

Erin didn't speak just sort of shrugged.

"Erin come on. Let's go get some coffee and get you some sleep," Izzy told her.

"You know, I've actually been thinking. I'm nothing but bad news, you know? I was born into bad news and I can't seem to get away from it. It's the ones around me, the…people that I care about the most who end up getting hurt. Look at Nadia. If I would've just left here alone, she'd still be here."

"You don't know that," Izzy told her. "You gotta stop being so hard on yourself."

"I had a talk with my mom."

"Where'd that get you?" Hank snarked.

"Well, we decided that it might be a good thing for you two to give Erin some space," Bunny told them as she came from behind the bar. "So she can figure things out for herself."

"Okay, let's go. I've talked to you as a friend, as a father, and now I'm talking to you as your boss. Get off the stool and let's go to work," Hank told, completely ignoring Bunny.

"Actually, I quit," Erin replied as she sat her badge on the bar.

"We're good, Hank. Any issues that Erin is dealing with, it's a family matter. You guys just aren't family."

"We're the only family she had for years."

"Well, Rossetti, I'm her actual family. You can go back to New York now."

Hank looked at Izzy and motioned for them to leave.

Once in the SUV, Izzy expected Hank to explode.

"This is one battle that Bunny Fletcher will not win. I have fought for that girl for 20 years and I'm not gonna stop now."

"Maybe we need to, Hank. She's made her choice."

Hank looked at Izzy, a little shocked at her words but it was clear it made sense. A simple nod and they headed back to the district.

First Izzy loaded up her stuff at the district and handed in her CPD badge before saying good-bye to everyone then she headed to Erin's to pack the rest of her things. From the time she and Hank left the bar, till she packed up her stuff at the district, Erin had made it back to her apartment.

"Making sure I'm packing my stuff?"

"I didn't want you to leave without saying 'good-bye'."

"You're making a huge mistake, Erin."

"It's my mistake to make."

"Well, when my best friend comes back to the surface, let her know I love her and I'm always here. I gotta go." She took the key to Erin's apartment that she had had for years and laid it on the counter before grabbing her suitcases and left. Erin just stood there, staring at the key.


	10. Chapter 10

"A month in Chicago then a week in St. Barts? Who's ass are you kiss- never mind," Rollins chuckled as she and Izzy walked to their desks.

"After a month in Chicago, I needed that week in St. Barts."

"Have you heard from Lindsay at all?"

"Nope. I talked to Halstead and he said they traded texts like a week ago but it wasn't anything of note. He went by her apartment and he could hear a lot of people and music so he just left."

"Well, I for one am glad you're back."

"Me, too. Thanks for taking care of Murtaugh while I was gone the whole time."

"I think Frannie is heartbroken that her friend is gone."

"Hey, you're finally back," Amaro smiled when Izzy took her seat at the desk across from him. "You didn't get that tan in Chicago."

"Definitely not."

"I didn't think you and Barba would actually leave your room after you being in Chicago for a month."

"Shut up. So, we going to talk to Selena tomorrow?"

"Yep and Liv and Fin are gonna talk to Timmer."

"I'll be glad when this is over with."

"I think we all will. So, uh, listen, I heard you turned down Liv's offer for the Sergeant's exam."

"Yeah, I just decided that I'm not ready for that. Why?"

Nick sort of grinned as he held up a practice test.

"Wow. Sergeant Amaro, huh? I could dig it."

"You sure? I mean, I know you and Fin have been here longer and…"

"And we both turned it down, Nick. I say kick that tests ass. It's not like I'm gonna listen to you anyways."

"Gee, thanks."

"So, where's Liv?"

"She had a meeting with Tucker this morning."

"About what?"

"You know what."

"We had no idea he Johnny was Noah's father when we found that bastard."

"But you know Braun."

"Rafael's been calling in favors since we got back. Hell, he was calling while we were gone."

"Always working, huh?"

"Except when he's sleeping."  
*********************************************************************  
"I cannot believe Pilar pulled that shit in court today," Rafael huffed as he loosened his tie after walking into his girlfriend's apartment.

"After Selena murdering Timmer and now this…where do you think this is gonna go?"

"I honestly have no idea. I'm hoping that when I get Ariel on the stand, the jury will see him for what he really is."

"What about him gaining rights to Noah?"

"That…I talked to Langan and he's doing everything he can to keep it from happening but there may be nothing that can be done. Liv wouldn't let me accept the deal Braun offered in exchange for Johnny signing away his rights."

"Well, what kind of justice was that gonna be for any of those girls that have told the truth so far? Pilar has been our only problem."

"I know and I get it," he groaned as he rubbed the back of his neck, a clear sign he was stressed, so the detective decided to take over for him. He slowly started to relax. "So, I heard Nick isn't taking the Sergeant's exam after all."

"Tucker said that they'd just round robin him out after everything that's happened, especially last year."

"Liv said she asked you and Fin again and you both still said no?"

"I'm just not ready, Rafa."

"Rollins and Carisi go to you if Liv isn't around. All it is, is a test, and I'm sure you could pass it."

"I know you've got to work on tomorrow's stuff so why don't I order dinner and fix you a drink?"

"That sounds nice," he responded with a small smile and nod as she changed the subject.

"What do you want?"

"Anything."

"Greek sound okay?"

He just sort of nodded as he got up from the couch and went to the kitchen table to begin his work.

That night, he only left her table to go to the bathroom or refill his drink while he continued to make notes and reminders for the next day's part of the trial.

"Well, how do you think today is gonna go?" Rollins asked when Izzy met her and Nick outside the courtroom.

"I'm almost afraid to ask. Barba didn't come to bed until around 3."

"Well, let’s go grab our seats, huh?"

"You make it sound like a night at the theater, Nick," Izzy laughed lightly.

"Well, all the drama that's been surrounding this case makes it seem that way."

Fin, Carisi, and Liv soon joined them as they waited on Johnny D to be brought in. Rafael walked in, flashing a small smile to his girlfriend and a nod to Liv. He may have only had a few hours of sleep, but it was more than apparent that he was ready.

Ariel, whom was the girl they had been looking for when they found Johnny, started her testimony.

Things seemed to be going good until girls in the gallery along with what they just assumed were other pimps that worked for Johnny started standing up and calling Ariel a liar, lying bitch, etc. It was enough to distract pretty much everyone as Johnny D grabbed one of the court officers and her gun, dragging her out into the hallway, not before getting a few shots off, including one to Judge Barth.

Nick followed Johnny into the hallway while Izzy ran to check on Rafael then to Judge Barth.

Nick had taken Johnny out while also taking two shots himself. Once he was loaded up in an ambulance, Liv came back to check on Ariel. She was shaken up but ultimately just like everyone else, she was relieved that monster was finally gone.  
********************************************************************  
After Liv officially adopted Noah and Nick had began his physical therapy, things seemed to settle down for maybe a week, but it was a good week.

"Hello?"

"Um, hey," Izzy heard on the other end.

"Erin? You okay?"

"Yeah, I am. Uh…I'm…I'm back."

"You're back?"

"It took Jay getting kidnapped for me to realize what's really important so I'm back at work. I have to live with Hank and take drug tests but it's a start."

"Well, uh, good. You sound…it's nice to hear from you, Erin."

"I'm sorry for how I treated you when you were out here. I know Hank brought you out just to help me but…god, Bunny…"

"How's she feel about you living with Hank again?"

"Well, actually, I can't have anything to do with her."

"Really? Did you or…"

"Hank but he's right. She's the cancer in my life. Always has been. She is not good for me, hell I'm not good for her."

"You're too good for her, Erin."

"Thanks, Izz. So, I heard what happened to Amaro. How is he?"

"He's in PT, seems to be doing okay though. I'm really glad you're doing better, Erin." “Yeah. Gabby and I were talking about maybe coming out in a couple of weekends, if you can take off. You always come out here, we thought maybe it was our turn."

"That would be great. Really."

"Yeah?"

"Of course! I'd love to see you guys."

"I'll tell her and I'll let you know."

"Sounds great."

"Okay, well, I just wanted to call you and…it's so good to hear your voice."

"Yours too, Erin. I'm glad you found your way out of the rabbit hole."

"And hopefully for the last time."

They bid their good-bye's and Izzy put her phone on the table.

"You okay?" Rafael asked as he came out of the kitchen where he had been cooking dinner.

"Yeah. Erin just called."

"Need you to get her out of jail?"

"Rafa."

"I'm kidding."

"She's back. She sounds great…"

"Erin never sounds great. Her voice is like gravel in a blender."

"What is with the 'tude?"

"Sorry. She's just never been my favorite person and the way she treated you when you went to Chicago, the way she used to treat your brother, but she is your best friend so I'll be nice."

"Good cause she and Gabby are gonna come out in a few weeks."

"Think I'll call your brother and see if he wants to go to Atlantic City that weekend."

"You don’t even know when it is."

"Since when has that ever stopped us? Seriously, though, she doing okay?"

"A lot better than when I left her. She's having to live with Hank and submit to drug tests and she had to cut her mother from her life once and for all."

"Wouldn't that be a good thing?"

"It's honestly the best thing that could happen to her. Bunny drags everyone down with her."

"Well, hopefully Erin will stay away from her from now on. Listen, I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Um okay."

"We've been back together for awhile now, no real threats of breaking up. Think we've been doing pretty good."

"But?"

"No, no, but. It's more like sooo, I've been thinking."

"Why does that freak me out?"

"We spend half the week here and the other half at your place. Why don't we spend every night in the same place, together?"

"Are you…you…are you saying you want us to live together?"

"Is that a bad thing? We rarely spend a night alone anymore."

"Okay, but the thing is…"

"Oh, you have a 'but'."

"We haven't discussed a future and I'd be giving up a rent controlled apartment."

"Who said we had to move in here? I could move in your place."

"You'd really move back to Brooklyn?"

"You live in Brooklyn Heights. It's not like you live in Brownsville."

"And so I'm guessing my guest room would become your office?"

The ADA sat and looked at his girlfriend. "Why don't we find a place together?"

"Seriously?"

"Makes sense. What's with the look?"

"You want us to get a place…together?"

"That is what I remember saying. I can get the court reporter to read it back if you need me to."

"Ha ha. This is just…it's a big decision."

"I'm aware of that, carino. Listen, you don't have to make up your mind right now. Just think it over and then let me know."

"Okay."

He gave her a quick kiss before heading back into the kitchen to finish the roast he was cooking.  
******************************************************************  
"What's the big deal? You love him, he loves you."

"I know, Ma, but we haven't even been back together a year and he's talking about moving into together. I mean, we've been together longer in the past and he's never mentioned something like this."

Stella sort of chuckled to herself as she opened the bottle of Chardonnay she had pulled out of the fridge.

"What?"

"What? I didn't say anything."

"You were laughing."

"I have watched you and Rafael go round and round for 15 years. You have cried over him, you've beat the stuffing out of a punching bag over him, and now that he wants more, you're freaking out over him."

"I'm not freaking out, it's just…okay, say we get a place together and then, like usual, things don't work out? One of us will have to leave and finding an apartment in this city…"

"You’re making excuses and really a shitty one for that matter. If that's your biggest fear, sublet your apartment, legally, and if by some small chance things don't work out, you can move back in it."

"Okay, so maybe it's not just the apartment thing."

"What else is it then?"

"You know he was engaged to that other ADA."

"Rings a bell."

"Anyways, mother, they never lived together before they were supposed to get married."

"And you think that him wanting the two of you to move in together, that might lead to something else?"

Izzy just sort of shrugged as she stared at the glass in front of her.

"Do you not see that in your future with him?"

"I do and I think that's what scares me the most. I never saw myself marrying Antonio, okay maybe in like 10th grade but as we got older, my expectations changed as I focused on school and he focused on boxing. But with Barba…it's always been so different."

"Correct me if I'm wrong but on his wedding day, didn't he tell Liv that while he wanted to get married, the girl in the other dressing room wasn't the one he wanted to marry?"

"Who told you that?"

"Liv."

"When did you talk to her about this?"

"Oh, honey, months ago. Try to keep up."

"You and my boss have a personal relationship?"

"When you moved over to the 16th, I believe your father and I ended up with a lot more kids than we started with. Liv, Fin, Elliot, then Nick, Amanda, and Carisi."

"Not Munch or Cragen, huh?"

"They're older than we are, thank you. She called me one night cause she was having some issues with Noah and then later she called to thank me, we went for coffee a few days later and she told me what he said in the dressing room. We sort of have a bet going to see how long it'll be before you two are engaged."

"Funny."

"Oh, I'm completely serious."

"Speaking of Liv, I gotta go," Izzy told her mother as she read a text about a body washing up in Pelham Bay.

"Be careful. I love you."

"Love you, too."

Anthony came downstairs just in time to see his only daughter practically fly through the front door of her childhood home.

"I'm guessing that dark yellow streak going out the door was our daughter?"

"Yeah. She got a call."

"She doing okay?"

"Yeah. Rafael wants them to move in together."

"And there's a problem because?"

"Their history mainly."

"Huh."

"What?” “Hmm? Oh, nothing."

"Don't tell me 'nothing', Anthony Joseph Rossetti. What was the 'huh' about?"

"I had dinner with Rafael two nights ago."

"Where was I?"

"School board meeting. He called me up, invited me into the city for a nice steak dinner, and…"

"And? AND?!"

"And he asked my permission to marry our daughter."


	11. Chapter 11

"You're still talking to Yates?" Rafael spat after he motioned for Izzy to follow him into a conference room at the precinct.

"He'll only talk to me and Rollins."

"I don't want you speaking to him anymore."

"You can't dictate who I talk to when it comes to my job."

"He led you to a body in a house that he put himself in. Does that not say anything to you?"

"You weren't there when Rollins and I…"

She was cut off as he opened the door and hollered for Liv to join them.

"What's going on?"

"I don't want her going to Green Haven anymore."

"Barba you know…"

"He's gonna get in her head."

"I think I'm capable of…"

"This is non-negotiable. Benson."

"Uh, fine. I won't send her anymore."

"Thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me."

With that, the ADA was at the elevator before the two detectives even had time to speak.

"Liv come on."

"He's just concerned about you."

"But that doesn't give him the right to say what I can and cannot do when it comes to my job. I don't work for him."

"Look, we'll just take this one step at a time. If Yates has anymore useful information and I have to send you up there, I'll take the heat."

"I don't want you between us."

"But, as much as I hate to say this, these two vics don't match Yates' MO. For once, he could be telling us the truth. He'll only talk to you and Rollins so, if I don't have a choice but to send you to Green Haven, I don't have a choice."

"Okay."

"Everything okay?" Nick asked as Izzy sat at her desk.

"Just this crap with the body in the wall at the townhouse and Yates and, ugh, Barba."

"Well, good luck."

"How much longer are you gonna be on desk duty?"

"Another few weeks," he shrugged. "I'm not hating it too much to be honest."

"How's Gil liking San Diego?"

"Eh, he's getting used to it. I'm gonna fly out in a couple of weeks to see him and Maria is gonna bring Zara down so I can spend time with both of them."

"That's good. Did Cynthia ever get Gil's last name changed before they moved?"

"Yeah, actually. He's officially an Amaro, which I don't know how much good that does him."

"Hey, he's got you for a dad. That's a hell of a lot of good."

Nick smiled at his longtime friend before going back to his computer.

Izzy got home that night to an empty apartment. It had been a few weeks since Rafael had brought up them moving in together and she hadn't given him a straight answer and after his behavior that day, he wasn’t getting one anytime soon.

She figured he would show up at some point but 10:30 rolled around so she heated up some leftover Chinese and got ready for bed.  
*******************************************************************  
"How was your trip to Buffalo," Fin asked Amanda when she and Carisi got back from picking up Deputy Chief ME Carl Rudnick, dressed in drag, as he was fleeing after being arrested for murdering a prostitute and his ex-fiancé.

"Long. Carisi and Rudnick were all chummy the whole way back."

"Carisi talks enough as it is so I can only imagine," Izzy joked while reading the reports on the body of Yates' fiance, Susie Frain who washed up in Pelham Bay.

"Hey, how's everything with you?"

"Hmm? Me? I'm fine."

"The other day, you were saying…"

"Too many ears, Amanda," she whispered to her friend.

The two of them got up and headed to the bunkroom.

"So?"

"He's definitely not speaking to me after taking Yates' phone call about Susie."

"Jesus. Why is he acting like this?"

"I have no idea, Rollins. We were talking about moving in together and now we're not even speaking. Who knows now."

"He's just stressed, I'm sure. Oh…ew."

Izzy watched as Amanda found the nearest trashcan and threw up.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You threw up at Susie's crime scene the other day and now today?"

"I really gotta stay away from that bagel place by my apartment."

"Hey, you two finished?" Carisi asked as he poked his head in. "Sarge and Barba want us."

"We'll be right out," Izzy told him. "You're sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Probably an ulcer. I mean, who wouldn't have one after the last month, right?"

"Sure."

The two detectives joined the rest of the squad and the ADA in the bullpen.

"This trial is being fast tracked. I will need all of you, except Amaro of course, available for trial prep so clear off your calendars, cancel dates, whatever. Our first priority is this trial," Barba told them firmly. "Dr. Rudnick has not only Rita Calhoun representing him but now Buchanan in case none of you were aware."

"We knew," Izzy scoffed out loud.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"I said we know, Counselor."

"Good, then you know what I'm up against. The judge also granted the motion to separate the three charges."

"Shit," Carisi muttered under his breath.

"Trial begins on the 12th. I'll have my assistant set up prep time for everyone so check your emails."

"We will all be available, Counselor, I assure you," Liv told him.

"Great."

Izzy started to sit back in her chair when her phone buzzed. 

*Rafael: Meet me downstairs.*

Once everyone went back to whatever they were working on, she headed to the elevator to meet the ADA outside.

"Did you need something, Counselor?"

"I'm asking your brother to sit second chair on this trial."

"What for?"

"Rudnick wants two lawyers, the state will have two as well."

"Okay. You're telling me this because…"

"I didn't want you to be surprised when you show up for trial prep."

"Well, thanks for the heads up. I need to get back upstairs."

"Also…we need to talk."

"Really? Now?"

"No, I was gonna say, let's have dinner tonight."

"You know what? No."

"Wha-no?" He was completely shocked that she was turning him down for dinner.

"Every time you've told me 'we need to talk', I know what that means after 15 years."

"Ugh, I don't want to talk out here. Just meet me for dinner tonight. 7:00."

She stood for a minute and looked at him in his dark blue suit, foot tapping on the sidewalk.

"Fine. Where?"

"Forlini's."

"I'll be there."

"Good."

7:30 and Rafael still hadn't shown up while Izzy sat at the restaurant, working on her second scotch. She felt stupid every time she checked her phone for a text to say he was running late.

"Sorry. I was going over some stuff with your brother and I lost track of time," he told her when he finally showed up.

"It's fine."

He ordered the same thing she was drinking before taking his seat in the booth across from her.

The two of them sat in silence. She was waiting for the inevitable. She was glad she hadn't looked for someone to sublet her apartment.

"Listen, I know I've been an asshole at best the last week or so," he finally said. "I'm sorry."

"We've all been stressed. I know that's not what we're here for."

"Actually, yes it is. I have treated you terribly. You don't work for me and if Benson tells you to go talk to someone, I can't tell her to tell you no. You've got a job to do just like I do. My job depends on your job actually."

"Okay?"

"I don't like us not speaking or spending time together. We haven't looked at any more apartments since this all started. You haven't even given me a straight answer. I ask and you have basically the same excuse."

"Can I tell you something?"

"You can tell me anything."

"I'm just scared."

"I know. So am I but I have no doubt that we're gonna grow old together."

"Somebody's already old."

"I am only 6 years older than you, thank you very much."

"What if we don't…"

"But what if we do?"

She looked into his green eyes as he bit his bottom lip, his finger circling the top of his glass.

"Okay."

"Yeah?"

"Why not? What do we have to lose?"

"Not a thing," he smiled as he reached over and took her hand, placing a soft kiss on it.

"I really thought, with everything that was going on and the 'we need to talk', you were…"

"Ending things? God, no. I just knew I had to make it sound important or you wouldn't come. Sorry if I scared you."

"I guess I can forgive you. So, my brother is really sitting second chair?"

"A little intimidation for Buchanan. Your brother has only lost against him once in his career. He always starts to sweat when he sees Tony."

"Like you don't do that alone?"

"What's a little more?" The ADA shrugged. "You want to come to my place tonight or…"

"You still have clothes at my place."

"Guess I'm going to Brooklyn then."  
*************************************************************  
"So, I got a question?"

"What is it, Carisi?" Izzy asked as they were the only two in the bullpen after Carl Rudnick had plead guilty to murder among other things.

"Amanda."

"What about her?"

"You know?"

"She's blond, about my height and weight, three years younger than me…"

"Don't be a smartass. Who's the father?"

"OH! That! Come here. It's a secret," the blond detective whispered as she motioned for him to come closer. Once he did, the volume of her voice changed. "NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS!!!!"

"Ow! Okay, okay," Carisi grumbled as he rubbed his ear. "But you know?"

"Of course, I know. I will tell you, it's not Amaro."

"That was my first assumption."

"Hasn't anyone ever told you about assuming things?"

"Yeah, yeah. So, you got plans once we turn these computers off?"

"Barba is out with my brother celebrating their win…"

"Their? Your brother just sat there, well he did question me, but other than that, that was all Barba."

"Tony was more like muscle."

"As if Barba needs it," Carisi chuckled.

"He was a little worried after Rudnick testified. Every time he lunged, Rudnick parried. He was almost likeable."

"Good thing I found that video."

"No shit."

"So, what do they do when they celebrate?"

"Steak dinner, scotch, and cigar club usually."

"Want to grab a couple of beers?"

"That sounds good to me."

"I'll even buy."

"That sounds even better." 

They clocked out and headed toward the elevator. Izzy sent Rafael a text telling him her plans to which he replied he would be at his apartment if she wanted to stay with him after she got finished.

A couple rounds of beers, a basket of hot wings, two games of pool and Carisi headed to his Brooklyn apartment while Izzy headed to Rafael's place.

She walked in to find her dog in his bed, with the ADA sitting against the headboard reading 'The Daily News'.

"Reading about your win?"

"Well, there's something about seeing my name in the paper with words like 'victory' and 'intelligent' peppered in that just brightens my life."

"And people wonder why you act like such a dick," she chuckled as she started taking off her shoes. "When did you go get Murtaugh?"

"Around the time you text and told me you were hanging out with Carisi for a little bit. You said that you guys were staying in Manhattan so I figured I'd go get him so he could stay the night, too."

"You even brought his blanket I see."

"Of course. His food is in the kitchen and he did his business before we came up."

"Well, thank you. I appreciate that."

"Hmm-mm, now why don't you get over here, and do more for your man than that article?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"I thought, you could take control. You can ride me hard and fast or rock on my slow and easy or a mix of both."

"Hmmm…"  
*************************************************************  
"You serious? You don't want kids?" Carisi asked Izzy after Amanda came back from giving into another one of her cravings.

"Nope. After I learned what an episiotomy is, there is no way I will go through that shit."

"It's the miracle of life."

"Carisi dress it up however you want but that is some disgusting, animal kingdom nonsense."

"You're making me feel really good about this," Rollins chuckled as she picked a piece of bacon from her sandwich and shoving it in her mouth.

"Hey, I'm happy for you, Rollins, it's just not for me."

"What about Barba?"

"He's never mentioned having kids, Amaro. After his childhood, I don't see that being something he's interested in. I mean, we went and looked at this apartment the other day and the realtor was all, 'This is an office…could be a nursery. And here we have an on-fire garbage can…could be a nursery'. He wasn't sold on it."

"How's the apartment hunting going?"

"It's only been two weeks, Nick. We've seen three and both are way out of our price range."

"Hey, Izz?"

"What's up, Sarge?"

"Can you meet Fin at Corporation Counsel? Darius McRae's mom is asking for you."

"Uh, yeah, sure. I'll text him and let him know I'm on my way."

That night, after dealing with their latest case, Izzy wanted nothing more than to drown her feelings in alcohol.

"You're drinking all my good scotch," Rafael teased when she poured herself a third glass.

"Sorry. Just a lot on my mind with this case. You should've seen the 'letter' Darius drew for Avery. I mean, this kid is really sorry, and Pippa Cox treated him like any other street thug. He's not."

"You're getting too personally involved in this, babe."

She just sort of shrugged as she slammed her drink back in one shot.

"Okay, that's enough. You need to eat and drink some water."

"Hey, Rafa."

"What?"

"You know, all the times we've been together, we've never really discussed the future."

"I thought moving in together was a good start," he laughed lightly.

"Yeah, no, I know. Do you ever…have you ever thought about…do you want kids?"

He just sort of sat there, really not knowing how to answer. "Well, uh…um…I, uh…I wouldn't mind having one or two with you."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah," he smiled as he shrugged one shoulder before smiling. "Your looks, my mouth, half of your brain, half of mine, that kid or those kids would be unstoppable. Why do you ask?"

"We've just never talked about it."

"What about you?"

"Honestly? I've never seen that for me."

"Oh. Well…I'd be okay just us and Murtaugh, too. We'd be able to travel a lot."

"That's true."

"When or if we get there, we can talk about it then. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Now, eat your dinner, get in the shower, and get some rest. Are you gonna go with Liv tomorrow to take that letter to Avery?"

"No, her and Carisi are gonna go."

"Okay. Well, come on."

The next day, Liv and Carisi took the apology to the transgendered teen that Darius McRae had accidentally pushed off a bridge, breaking her leg. 

Avery was more than touched as she liked graphic novels and Darius seemed to capture her perfectly in the pictures he drew.

However, due to the fractured femur, a fatty embolism traveled to her lung, killing her instantly. Now Darius would be facing a murder charge. Rafael did his best to get the case to stay in Family Court so Darius wouldn't receive a harsh sentence but Kenneth O'Dwyer stepped in.

Not only would he be charging 15-year-old Darius as an adult but he was also adding the Hate Crime statute.

"Hate crime? Are you kidding me?"

"Rossetti…" Liv started as she held up her hand.

"I'm sorry, Detective, but this city needs to know that violence of this nature will not be tolerated."

"Darius doesn't have a hateful bone in his body. Out of every perp I've seen, I've never seen one as remorseful as Darius McRae."

"I'm sorry," he shrugged before turning to walk out.

"That son of a bitch."

"Izzy why don't you take the rest of the day. You know you're gonna be called to testify, so maybe just take a breather."

"Yeah, that's what I'll do."

Even after Avery's father spoke, showing nothing but compassion for Darius, Judge Barth still handed down a 7 year sentence, which 3 of it would be spent in a juvenile facility then he'd go upstate to Green Haven.

"Detective!"

"What?" She snapped when O'Dwyer caught her at the elevator.

"I know you're upset but…"

"I get that Avery deserved justice and yes we should not turn a blind eye to Hate Crimes, but you choose to make an example of a child who made a mistake. Avery's parents didn't want this but did you care? No. Just like usual, you have to try to shine brighter than the rest of the ADA's, no matter that not just one family is destroyed but now two."

"I was just…"

"Doing your job. Go fuck yourself."

O'Dwyer couldn't believe that the blond detective spoke to him like that, especially in the hallway of the courthouse but she didn't care. 

On her way back to the precinct, she received a text message from Chief Williams Dodds: *1PP ASAP*

"Great," she muttered as she went to the next light to turn her jeep around and head to One Police Plaza.

When she arrived, Liv was standing in Dodds' office, waiting for her detective.

"You wanted to see me, Chief?"

"Have a seat, Rossetti."

"I already know…"

"You cannot go around, cussing ADA's out in the middle of the courthouse," Dodds' started.

"I didn't cuss him out. I told him to go fuck himself. One fuck. That's all I said."

"Still, we have to maintain a good relationship with the DA's office and that stunt…"

"Stunt? What about the stunt he pulled with a child's life?"

"You did your job. It was in the hands of the judge since Darius' mother waived the jury trial."

"It's still a shit sentence."

"And I don't disagree. However, like I said, you can't act that way."

"So, you want my badge and my gun?"

"No. Not yet. I do, however, think you need a break."

"Are you serious?"

"I'm going to move you to Computer Crimes…"

"Computer Crimes?"

"You're lucky you're not being sent to Staten Island. You have a good record, that's what is saving your ass now. Why chance it?"

"Fine. When do I report?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"How long am I being reassigned."

"It's just temporary. I promise. You got too wrapped up in this case and a break never hurt anyone."

"You know I've taken them," Liv spoke up.

"Is that all?"

"For now," Dodds answered. "Remember what you told me when you worked under me when I was still a Lieutenant?"

"Not really."

"I asked you one day why you became a cop after working as an EMT and you told me it was because you felt you could do more as a cop."

"Yeah, I remember now," she admitted quietly.

"Look, you're a good cop, always have been. Sometimes, though, you do get too invested."

"Yeah, I get it. I'll report to Computer Crimes in the morning."

"Thank you."

After she walked out, Liv turned to Dodds. "I get where she's coming from."

"I know. I do, too. This is one of those cases that no one is a winner. Honestly, I can't stand O'Dwyer myself. The guy is a self-righteous prick. But he didn't waste any time making a big deal when I'm sure, he's been told worse."

"You can be sure of it. So, how long is she gonna be gone from SVU?"

"Just long enough to keep McCoy off our back. A couple of weeks, maybe a month."

"This summer is already turning into shit."

"Well, the results of your Lieutenant's exam should be in soon. That's something to look forward to."

"Right," Liv nodded with a small smile. "Well, I'll see you around, Chief."


	12. Chapter 12

"So apartment #11?"

"That was the one in the Financial District, right, Rafa?"

"Um, no, Hell's Kitchen."

"Oh, then no. The kitchen was way too small."

"Okay, I'll take that one off the list. Hey, what about that one in Sutton Place? Great view, decent rent, the kitchen was nice, the building is pet friendly."

"That one had the walk-in shower in the master bath."

"Yes, it did. So?"

"I did like that one," the detective admitted.

"Want me to call Leslie and see if we can take another look at it?"

"Yeah, that would be great, Rafa. Thank you."

"Have you found anyone interested in your apartment?"

"Yeah. Carisi believe it or not," she chuckled.

"Is he still that obsessed with you?"

"What?"

"It was no secret he had a crush on you when he transferred over. Everyone knew it. I knew it. I could see it, I could sense it."

"Rafael you are being ridiculous."

"Tell me you didn't think about it."

"Once. We ALMOST kissed one time. We were drunk. It was after my dad's retirement party. But we talked about it a couple of days later and both said it wasn't a good idea to screw around with someone you work with."

The ADA turned toward his girlfriend with his eyebrow arched.

"Oh, we're different. We don’t work in the same office and who knows if I’ll ever come back to SVU."

"You will. McCoy just didn't want O'Dwyer making a bigger stink than he already had. He actually found it kind of funny."

"What? When did he tell you that?"

"He came into my office the other day to ask about the DCS case and asked how you were doing in Computer Crimes."

"And?"

"I told him he knew you didn't adapt to change well. In hindsight, I think he was more or less asking how I was dealing with your transfer."

"Ha ha," she remarked sarcastically until she noticed a look on her boyfriend's face. "Everything okay?"

"That was Liv," he told her as he sat his phone back on the table.

"Okay?"

"That little girl her and Carisi found, Keisha, she uh, she died."

"You're kidding."

"Her organs were too far gone. There was nothing they could do to save her."

"She was only 8?"

"Almost 9."

"Carisi told me that the caseworker said she had just been checked on but she was severely malnourished."

"That's one way of putting it. That kid was tortured."

The rest of the night was basically spent in silence in his apartment. It didn't matter how long either of them had worked SVU, the death of a child never gotten any easier to death with.  
*************************************************************************  
"Hey, how's Computer Crimes treating ya," Carisi teased when Izzy walked into the bullpen of the 16th.

"Hey, fuck off, Carisi," she retorted with her middle finger extended.

"That bad, huh?"

"I'm usually bored out of my mind but I have something you guys will want to see."

"You'll be back here soon enough," Liv assured the detective as she took the file from her hands and Izzy went to the big screen and inserted a flash drive. "What am I looking at?"

"You see all those reports on Manuela, Keisha, and Bruno?"

"Yeah?"

"Those plus others were backdated and scanned into the system the Saturday Keisha died."

"Christ," Liv muttered as she rubbed her hand along her face. "Has Barba seen these yet?"

"I believe Captain Harris was taking copies to his office while I was sent over here."

"Thank you, Izz."

"Yeah, no problem, Lieutenant."

"I still can't get used to that," Liv lightly chuckled. 

"I'm gonna head back over. From what Steven said, we've just scratched the surface. We're gonna be cross referencing every single report that has been filed in the last year with cases. Lot of long nights ahead."

"Good luck."

Izzy bid Benson and Carisi good-bye before heading toward the elevator.

"Hey, stranger," Rollins chuckled as she and Fin were coming back from lunch. "You coming back?"

"Not anytime soon, I'm sure."

"What makes you say that?"

"Just wait till you see Liv, Fin. I gotta go guys."

"See ya."

"Wonder what she meant by that."

"I'm almost scared to ask, Fin."

As Izzy made her way outside, she met Rafael and Nick walking up.

"Where's the fire?" Nick laughed.

"I wish I could hang around but…"

"He already knows," Rafael cut her off. "We're heading upstairs now to try and make sense of all this."

"Have fun."

"My place or yours tonight?"

"Uh, Rafa, I'm gonna be working on these backdated reports and…"

"Understand. I'll probably just go to my place since it's closer. There's no telling when I'll get a moment either," he told her with a small smile. "I better catch Amaro."

"Okay, I love you."

"Love you, too."

With that, she got in her jeep and headed back to the precinct she had been working in since the "tongue lashing" she had given O'Dwyer a month earlier.

Izzy and Detective Gail Dunbar finally took a break around 7pm, after they had found more evidence of incompetence to say the least. 

"You think CPS can be held accountable for any of this?"

"If I know SVU, I'm sure Benson is gonna try her hardest, Dunbar."

"Well, someone needs to swing for this shit. I mean, we are all over worked but there is no reason for this. That little girl shouldn't have died. None of them should. How do you do it?"

"What do you mean?"

"You have worked SVU in Brooklyn and Manhattan. You deal with…I mean…"

"I get what you're saying. I don't know. At one point, I thought I was desensitized to it all but as it turns out, I was just burying it."

"What do you do?"

"Work-out, therapy, medicine, shooting range."

"Sounds healthy," Dunbar sort of laughed. "So, uh, so what's going with Amaro?"

"What do you mean?"

"Is he dating anyone or…"

"Gail seriously?"

"I need a break from these reports. Come on, tell me!"

"You had a crush on him in the academy."

"Yeah, so?"

"He's single as far as I know. Happy?"

"You think you could…"

"You know I don't set anyone up."

"You're no fun."  
***************************************************************************  
Not only Keisha's mother, Manuela Ozuna was sentenced to prison, her case worker, his boss Janette, and her boss were sent to prison and a complete overhaul of ACS was going to be done.

"Ah, Rossetti, just the person I wanted to see."

"Chief Dodds, what brings you over to Computer Crimes?"

"You about ready to pack your things?"

"Seriously? I'm ungrounded?"

"I've signed off on your return as has Captain Harris."

"He never can wait to be rid of me."

"That's not true," Steven chuckled as he walked up. "My work here is done and I wouldn't want you getting stuck here under the new CO. I'm breaking you out so to speak."

"Thanks so much, Harris."

"Yeah, yeah, you're welcome. She's all yours, Dodds. Good luck."

With that Harris walked back into his office to pack his things. Dodds came back with an empty evidence box so Izzy could do the same.

"You don't have to help me, Chief. I didn't bring a lot," she sort of laughed.

"Well, I actually wanted to talk to you about something."

"Okay?"

"Barba's mother."

"Lucia. What about her?"

"What's her story?"

Izzy was a little dumbfounded as to how to answer and more so, wondering why Dodds was asking.

"Well, she's the principal of a charter school in the Bronx."

"She married or…"

"Widowed, for a few years now. Are you…do you want me to…"

"She came looking for you at the 16th a few weeks ago, since you weren't there, I ended up walking out with and she seems like a very charming woman."

"Are you wanting me to set the two of you up on a date?"

"Maybe coffee to start with. You could tell me where you two are and I could happen upon you."

"Chief," Rossetti started with a laugh, "no offense but that's something that Rafael actually did when we were younger."

"You're kidding."

"Yeah, him, Lindsay and brother. We hadn't talked in a while and…anyways long story short, I knew what was up as soon as my brother and Rafael walked up."

"Well, how about this? Why don't I take all three of you out to dinner?"

"I would have to talk to Barba about it. You know what, how about I have Lucia meet me for drinks and then I'll let you know where?"

"I'm sorry to put you in this position. I am just terrible at this. Believe it or not, I've been divorced over 20 years and I've been only on a handful dates."

"I see. Well, I will do my best to help you."

"Thank you. One more thing."

"What's that?"

"Can you keep this between us? I mean, it may not go further than drinks and no sense in getting on Barba's bad side for no reason."

"Chief, I hate to tell ya, but you already are."

"Just part of my charm," he chuckled as they walked out the doors and he sat the box in Izzy's backseat. "I'll be expecting your text."

The detective got in her seat, put on her seatbelt and sort of laughed to herself. Chief Dodds was asking her to set him up with her boyfriend's mother. Soon the laughter stopped and she thought about the consequences if they did begin actually dating and Rafael finding out that Izzy knew all along. A Phoebe Buffay-esq "Eh, well" with a shrug came across her before she pulled out of her parking spot and headed home to Brooklyn.


	13. Chapter 13

"So, how's the apartment hunting coming," Lucia Barba asked her son's girlfriend as they waited on their martini's at a bar not far from 1PP.

"I think we've finally found the one. Three bedrooms, one and half baths, a terrace, and well within our price range."

"Rafi said that you two were buying it?"

"That's the plan, Lucia. He made an offer, we're both putting in half for the down payment, so now, we're just waiting."

"Well, I can't wait to see it. How's work been?". 

"Stressful to say the least. Campesi and Doom went to the academy with me but this whole shooting…"

"I understand that if Rafael doesn't get an indictment, he could lose his job?"

"In so many words. I'm terrified, Lucia."

"You didn't pull the trigger and neither did he."

"I know. I swear since we all testified for the Grand Jury, Liv has basically been freezing me out. I just answered the questions that Rafael asked truthfully."

"That's all that should be expected of you."

"Detective Rossetti?"

"Hey, Chief!" She said, feeling a little too fake about her tone. "You've met Lucia Barba?"

"I certainly have. It's nice to see you again, Mrs. Barba."

"Lucia please," she smiled with a small giggle.

"Having a couple of drinks, I see."

"Um, yeah. Would you care to join us, Chief?"

"I couldn't," he feigned. 

"You can and you will," Lucia told him as she gestured to the empty chair at their table.

"Well, if you insist."

He ordered a scotch and another round for the ladies. Izzy watched while Dodds and Lucia got to know each other better.

"You know what? I hate to do this but I forgot I have some paperwork that I need to catch up on. Can we do dinner another night, Lucia?"

"Of course! Go do your work. Bill would you care to join me for dinner?"

"As long as you let me pay," he said with grin that Izzy hadn't seen often.

"Well, you two enjoy and I'll, uh, well, yeah, I'll see you later."

They told her a quick good-bye before she headed out.

"Can I be honest with you, Lucia?"

"Sure, Bill."

"I actually asked Rossetti to set this up."

"Can I be honest with you?"

"Of course."

"I'm glad you did. I was already planning on coming to see her again in hopes of running into you."

Izzy watched through the window while she waited on an Uber to pick her up and take her to Rafael's apartment.

"Hey!!" She announced as she unlocked and walked in the door.

"Where you been?"

"I had a couple of drinks with your mother."

"Oh."

"You okay?"

"Grand Jury indicted Campesi and Donlon on manslaughter charges, Doom on reckless endangerment."

"What? Manslaughter?"

"I didn't push them toward it. I had to explain manslaughter to them and that's what they came back with."

"Well, I guess McCoy's happy."

"To say the least."

She could tell the ADA was apprehensive about the new charges. "Do you want to get something to eat or…"

"I think I'm just gonna drink my dinner tonight, if you don't mind," he replied with a half hearted smile as he sat his hand on her knee. "I'm a marked man now."

"It's just an indictment. That's all you had to do."

"They'll bring in Strauss to prosecute the trials, I'm sure."

"At least that part's off of you."

"Silver lining I suppose," he shrugged as he knocked back the rest of his scotch. "I did get some good news today, though."

"What's that?"

"We're officially in escrow."

"What?"

"In 30 days, that apartment is officially ours."

"Wow. That's…that's great news, actually."

"Yeah, I thought so. I let Carisi know he could have your apartment."

"Is that right? Maybe I wanted to give it to Nick."

"Seriously?"

"He did sell his house but I think he likes his place in Flatbush."

"Well, Carisi was excited."

"See, I would've messed with him a little. It would've been so much for me."

"When did you become so devious?"

"I was 21 I think."

"If you say so," he chuckled. "I suppose you'll invite Erin and Gabby out to help you pack?"

"Well, duh! It's end of an era. What about this place?"

"I've only been here 3 years, there's no real emotional attachment to it for me…except for maybe the detachable shower head. You know what I'm talking about it."

"Shush. Well, I'm going to get comfortable and sit down with my magazines," the detective told him as she reached into her recyclable shopping bag to pull out a stack of gossip rags.

"I don't see how you can…"

"Hmm-mm. Once these are open, you no longer exist."

"I'm aware."  
**************************************************************************  
"Okay, so, why did we have to cancel our Saturday plans to help clean out the basement?" Tony asked one Saturday morning in September.

"Yeah, Ma having another yard sale?"

"I won't be guilty of doing that again, I promise," Stella answered her daughter.

"You didn’t tell them?"

"Tell us what? What's going on, Dad? You finally getting your man cave?"

"I turned your room into my man cave, Junior. No, your grandfather is coming to live with us."

"We'll get a dollar every time we come over!"

"Funny, Junior."

"Come on, Pop. What's wrong with Nonno moving in here?"

"The fact that the man has not liked me since I was a teenager."

"Knocking Ma up with me at 17 probably didn't help."

"Now is not the time to be a wise ass, Junior."

"Wait, wait, wait. I thought the plan was he would move to Aunt Donna's in Rochester," Izzy asked.

"It was, Peanut, until he made other plans, without speaking with us first."

"Oh, Anthony, it's not gonna be that bad. And Daddy has always liked you."

"He just criticized my career choice every day for 40 years."

"He just worried about something happening to you, hun. That's it."

"If you say so, Stells. He comes over and drinks my last beer or eats a piece of pie that was saved for me."

"I think Ma's right. It's not gonna be that bad."

"Well, I'll remember that, Tony, if I ever have to move in with you one day."

"Why would you move in with me? You've got another kid right here."

"But I like your sister so I wouldn't want to make her life hell."

"Ha ha."

"Okay, guys, grab a box and start gathering things you want to keep," Stella ordered.

"And please, take your time," Anthony told them. "Next year would be perfect."

Stella shot her husband a look that he knew meant to shut up.

The two of them did what their mother said and started going through old toys and such. 

"So, how's the new Sergeant working out?"

"Mini-Dodds? He's…I'm still trying to get a read on him, Tony. Nick doesn't like him and neither does Amanda."

"How's she doing by the way?"

"After that shit show with her sister and mom, she's having to keep a closer eye on her blood pressure for one."

"I read about that case. I can't believe Lorenzo took her case."

"Amanda hired him. I guess Kim and Lorenzo got something going on."

"Is that right?"

"From what she told Amanda."

"I'm inclined to call that unethical."

"Not my business," his sister shrugged.

"So, when are Erin and Gabby coming out to help pack up your apartment?"

"Next week and Erin is off-limits."

"I'm aware. I emailed her a few weeks and things seem to be going good with…Manfred?"

"Halstead!"

"My bad. Jeez. So, you think they might…"

"I don't know. I've never seen her like this, well, since you."

"Yeah, I fucked things up the last time we were together."

"You both fucked things up on different occasions. In fact, I believe both of you ruined my 21st birthday."

"I've apologized several times for that. Anyways, I'm happy for her. Really."

"Good. So, what about you? Any hot dates lately?"

"Well, I missed my chance with Rollins so…"

"I told you 111 times I was not hooking you up with my other best friend."

"No, I know. I had a date a few weeks ago with a nurse from Mercy. She seemed nice enough."

"What was the problem, she wouldn't put out on the first date?"

"No. I mean no that wasn't the problem. She moved here from Oklahoma and she's only had two boyfriends her whole life. I don't want to be the guy…I just don't wanna be that guy."

"Whatever you say."

The two of them continued going through boxes, finding things from the 80s and 90s they had forgotten about.

"Kids!!!" They heard their dad call from the top of the stairs.

"No need to shout, Anthony, I'm right here," Frank DeNucci told his son-in-law as he walked down the stairs. "So, this is where you're gonna put me? In the basement with the rats and termites?"

"We don't have…"

"Relax, will ya? I'm only kidding. Stella told me you had the place inspected. I suppose my bathroom area is going to be up to code before I move in?"

Stella's father was wearing his favorite brown leather jacket and a newsboy cap as he "inspected" his new living space before hugging his grandchildren.

"Tony, I think you need to lay off your mother's cooking. You'll end up looking up me."

"Come on, Nonno. You look better than Pop."

"Really, Junior?"

"Oh, Anthony, you know he's just wanting this dollar!!"

"Hell yeah!" Tony exclaimed as he took the bill from his grandfather.

"And Elizabeth."

"Hey, Nonno," she smiled as they hugged again.

"How's the NYPD treating you?"

"Uh, really good."

"So, your mother tells me that you and that boyfriend bought an apartment together?"

"Yeah. We start moving next week."

"Ah-ha, living sin. You're grandmother…"

"Okay, Frank, why don't you come upstairs and have some lunch?" Anthony interrupted.

"Tell me, you didn't make it."

"I guess you'll find out after a few bites, huh?"

Frank just sort of looked at his son in law before walking upstairs.

"Glad to see things never change between them," Tony laughed.  
*************************************************************************  
"Okay, purple post-it stays, red is trash, yellow is for storage," Liv announced as she basically took charge of packing Izzy's apartment.

"Are you sure it's okay that I'm here?" CFP Paramedic Sylvie Brett asked. She had moved to Chicago from Fowlerton, Indiana (taking Shay's spot on Ambo 61) and Gabby insisted on bringing her along to help pack up the apartment.

"Of course. The more, the merrier," Izzy smiled. "I'm glad you're here. You can see how Gabby really is."

"I heard that!"

"I didn't whisper it!"

"So, you and Gabby have been friends a long time?" Sylvie asked as she and Izzy were packing up Izzy's seemingly 900 bottles of Bath and Body Works products in her bathroom.

"Since we were kids."

"That's really…cool. I mean, you two live so far apart and still are able to get together and hang out."

"Oh, yeah. I couldn't shake Dawson if I tried," the blond detective laughed. "What about you?"

"Hmm?"

"You have any friends like that?"

"Uh, this one, Hope…Jacquino. We've been friends almost our whole lives."

"You know they say if you keep a friend more than 7 years, you'll keep them for the rest of your life."

"Think so?"

"Well, Gabby and Erin are proof so far."

"I heard my name," Erin chuckled as she came in with another box. "All of this is going to the new apartment?"

"So?"

"How many bottle of Black Vanilla Raspberry do you need?"

"Is that a hint?"

"No, just think about Barba's own stuff. Is that bathroom big enough?"

"We have two, Erin. Why didn't you bring Jay out with you?"

"Same reason Gabby didn’t bring Matt. This is a girl's weekend."

"Okay. Just wanted to make sure everything was okay."

"It's better than okay," Erin said with a smile Izzy hadn't seen in awhile.

Sylvie had excused herself to help Gabby in the bedroom.

"You think this might be, you know, it?"

"Halstead? Hmmm, I…dunno. I love him. So much."

"I'm happy for you, Erin."

"Really?"

"What do you mean?"

"I know you always wanted me and Tony to end up together…"

"Erin, all I care about is the fact that you're happy."

"Yeah?"

"Yes."

"Oh my god, what is this," Liv asked as she interrupted the two best friends with a picture she had found in a box.

"That would be me and Barba…Coney Island, 1999."

"Hmm, he's gained a little weight."

"Benson!"

"I'm not saying that's a bad thing," the Lieutenant laughed. "You can see…even back then, he was in love with you."

The apartment was soon boxed and the moving trucks had arrived.

"Well, you ready?" Erin asked as they all gathered up luggage to put into Izzy's jeep.

"Yeah. I think so."

Gabby, Izzy, and Erin took one last look around the now empty apartment before walking out, turning off the lights, and locking the door.  
*****************************************************************  
"So, you knew my mother was seeing your boss?"

"Rafael, it's not that big of a deal," Izzy tried to reason as she cooked dinner.

"Oh! She doesn't think it's that big of a deal!"

"Okay, who are you talking to when you do that?"

"I have the Hodda trial coming up and I have to find out from your Sergeant that his dad is…is…"

"Giving it to your mom?"

"That's not funny."

"I'm sorry," Izzy sort of laughed. "Your mom deserves to be happy."

"But Dodds, really?!"

"It's not like it's Mini-Dodds."

"Doesn't make it much better."

"Rafa stop. Remember how miserable your mother used to be, even when your father 'changed'?"

"I remember," he whispered as he nodded. "I never understood why she stayed with him."

"Now, she has a man that is the polar opposite of your father. Don't you want her to be happy for once?"

The ADA stood with his arms crossed, stone faced, while staring at the detective. They appeared to be in a Mexican stand-off of sorts before he finally dropped his arms and his green eyes softened. "Why does it have to be your boss?"

"They like each other. Doesn't mean they're gonna get married or anything."

"I suppose you're right."

"I'm always right," she teased as she smacked his arm lightly with a wooden spoon.

"If you say so. Hey, listen, can you do me a favor?"

"Of course. What's that?"

"Can you get the good scotch from the liquor cabinet?"

"The 'good scotch'?"

"You know, the 30 year Johnny Walker?"

"And you can't because…"

"I'm gonna go get out of this suit. I just need a good drink. Please?"

"Ugh, I hate those green eyes. I can never say no to them," she chuckled as she walked out of the kitchen into the den. Rafael hurried to their bedroom to change out of his clothes as fast as he could.

Izzy had to get up on the step-stool to grab the old scotch but was shocked to find a blue box which was definitely from Tiffany's.

She picked the small box up and then the scotch, both hands were trembling. She wanted to open the box but maybe he had put that there for a reason, knowing she was too short to find it.

She slowing closed the door to the cabinet as she stepped off the stool and tucked the bottle under her arm. Her mind kept telling her to open the box.

She turned the key in the lock while her eyes were still fixated on the small blue box.

"You gonna open it or what?"

Rafael's voice startled her to the point that the bottle of scotch went in the floor, but it hit carpet so nothing happened to it. 

Detective Elizabeth Rossetti didn't care about the scotch. She held the blue box in both of her hands as she found the prosecutor that she had been in love with since she was 19 in a dark green sweater, black dress pants, on one knee.

"Raf…"

"I've been trying to figure out how to ask you but…there's nothing I could say other than 'will you marry me'?"

Still with the blue box in her hands, tears began to fall down her face as all she could do was nod.

"Yeah?"

"Of course, Rafael."

"Well, give me the box so I can do this properly," he told her as he took the box from her hand, pulled out the ring, and place the 2.17 round cut diamond on a platinum band on her finger.

She just stood there as he stood up. Her tears were uncontrollable at this point so all he did was wipe her eyes.

"I love you, Elizabeth, and I promise I will for the rest of my life."

"I love you, too, Rafael."


	14. Chapter 14

"So, any wedding plans yet?" Rollins asked when Izzy came to visit her friend and her new baby girl, Jessie, after the Lewis Hodda trial ended in a mistrial.

"Not yet. We've only been engaged for two weeks."

"So? I know you have to have something in mind. You've probably been planning this since the first time y'all were together."

"Maybe the fourth or fifth."

"See? Tell me."

"No, no, no. I came to see you and Jessie. I'm not here to talk about me."

"Ugh, fine," Rollins chuckled as she rolled her eyes.

"You heard from Declan?"

"I called and left him a voicemail."

"I thought he said that one phone call and he'd be on the next plane."

"Come on, Izz. He's taking down sex traffickers in Europe somewhere. It's not that easy as he made it seem."

"You never know, though."

"You're pretty good with her," Amanda smiled as she lightly changed the subject.

"She's asleep. How hard could it be?"

"She doesn’t fall asleep that quick after eating for me. You know, I think you'd be a better mother than you realize."

"I don't know."

After about an hour, Izzy decided to head home. Rafael was in his home office, scribbling furiously on a yellow legal pad, tearing off the paper, wadding it up, and throwing it in the trash. She watched him do it about 6 times before interrupting.

"The paper pissing you off?"

"Huh? Oh, I didn't hear you come in."

"You okay?"

"Yeah. I've been going over and over the last two days of the trial, Liv's testimony, that fucking Auxiliary officer's interference…"

"Shh. Stop. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving," she told him as she sat on the arm of his chair and ran her hand through his hair.

"Ugh, Mami is bringing 'Bill' with her to your parents."

"I love how you say that as if that's allegedly his name," she chuckled. 

"It just seems a little…soon. Plus, he's bringing Mike along."

"Ma said it was fine. Nick's coming, Erin and Jay are coming in."

"Ugh," he groaned as he rolled his eyes. "How was your visit with Rollins?"

"Um, good. I fed Jessie and she fell right asleep."

"Really?"

"You sound surprised."

"I don't mean to. I've always thought you'd be a good mom."

"Me? Seriously?"

"Sure. Look how've you been with Murtaugh. I remember, you had him two months and freaked out because he ate a tiny piece of chocolate. I came and took the two of you to an emergency vet to find out he was fine."

"He's a dog."

"But you see what I mean?"

"Hmm, I don't know."

"I know you said you don’t want any kids but maybe we could have one?"

"I'll think about it."

"Until then," he told her as he pulled her into his lap, "we can practice over…and over…and over again," he whispered as his lips connected to her neck softly.

"Hmm, that sounds fun."

"In fact, how about right now," he asked as he stood up, threw everything off his desk, and laid her on it.

*ERRRRRGGHHHH*

"Go lay down, Murtaugh!"

The dog listened to his "dad" and turned to walk out; leaving the detective at the mercy of the pent up ADA.  
************************************************************************  
"Stella I can't find my other brown shoe."

"Daddy it's probably in your room."

"I can't wear black shoes with these pants."

"Anthony!"

"Yes, dear?" The former firefighter asked as he poked his head in the kitchen.

"Can you go downstairs and see if you can find Dad's other brown shoe?"

"Which one?"

"You know it's this one's twin. Not evil or anything…" Frank started while his granddaughter chuckled under her breath.

"Come on, Frank. You owe me," he whispered to his wife as the two men went down the basement stairs.

"Why'd you do that to Dad?" Izzy laughed.

"To get him out in front of the TV for a change. What time was Erin's flight getting in?"

"About an hour. I hope Tony is nice to Jay."

"I already told him he better behave. So, Rafael isn't too keen on his mom and your boss dating?"

"Whatever gave you that idea?"

"The way he rolled his eyes when I told you guys what time they'd be here. I know that wasn't directed at Lucia."

"It's weird, Ma. He hated his dad. He was a mean bastard and Lucia is dating someone that's actually really great and Raf doesn't like it."

"Well, he's an only child and even when his dad was alive, he still thought of himself as her number one guy. He probably feels like he's being replaced."

"I never thought of that."

"And you're a detective?"

"Ha ha."

"Stella!!!"

"Oh my god. Yes, Pop?!"

"I need you!!!"

"Elizabeth can you…"

"I got it, Mom," Izzy chuckled as she held up her hand and took over the cooking for her mother.

"Hmm, something smells good," Rafael hummed against her neck as he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"That would be the lasagna."

"I don't think so. Let's go upstairs."

"Rafa!"

"What? I need to give thanks."

"You need to stop drinking."

"I've only had two."

"Hmmm, well, then…"

"Come on."

"Hey, hey!!"

"Erin! Jay!" Izzy exclaimed as the two CPD detectives came in the kitchen.

"Perfect," Rafael muttered.

"I thought you guys wouldn't be here for another hour or so."

"We took an earlier flight," Jay replied with a smile.

"Well, that's great. Jay you remember Rafael?"

"Of course. How are you, counselor?"

"Just fine, Detective."

"Okay, I found…Erin!" Stella practically yelled when she came back from the basement.

"Hey, second Mom. This is Jay Halstead. Jay this is Izzy's mom, Stella."

"It's so nice to meet you, Mrs. Rossetti. Erin and Izzy have both told me so much about you."

"The pleasure is all mine Jay and please call me Stella."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Rafael why don't you take Jay into the living room and pour him a glass of scotch?" Stella offered.

"You got it. Follow me, detective."

Jay followed Rafael into the living room while the three ladies continued in the kitchen.

"Well, Erin, he certainly is good looking."

"I like to think so."

"Are you two…"

"We're talking about moving in together but I'm not sure just yet."

"Well, take your time, sweetie. Just not as long as my daughter and Rafael."

"Thanks, Ma," Izzy scoffed as she started making the salad.

Erin, Stella, and Izzy were busy in the kitchen while Jay, Anthony, Rafael, and Frank were watching the usual NFL games.

"I'm here, Ma…Erin."

"Uh, hey, Tony."

The two of them just sort of looked at each other for a moment.

"It's good to see you," Tony smiled as he moved in to hug his ex.

"You, too."

Stella and Izzy just looked at each other.

"Junior. I need you," Frank told his grandson as he walked into the kitchen.

"Uh, sure, Nonno. I'll be right behind you. It's good to see you, Erin."

"Yeah, you told her that already," his sister remarked.

"Thanks for that."

"I do what I can."

"Well, I'm gonna grab a beer and go watch football."

A silence went over the kitchen while Tony grabbed his beer and headed back to the living room.

"It's okay that me and Jay are here, right?"

"Of course, Erin," Stella assured her. "Why don't you girls go out to the garage and grab some more beer?"

"Yeah, sure, Ma," Izzy said with a nod as the two of them headed outside.

"You know it's weird."

"What do you mean, Erin?"

"Tony and I haven't been together in so long and it feels like we just broke up yesterday."

"Okay, I need a little more."

"I saw him, you know, during Yates' trial but we never really talked or anything. Today, it's just like…I don't know how to explain it."

"Hmm, I wish I could help but I'm still kind of lost."

"God, you are such a blond," the CPD detective laughed as she grabbed a case of Red Stripe while her best friend grabbed a half a case of Bass.

"Leave me alone. You don't still have feelings for my brother, do you?"

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no."

"Eight no's. Really?"

"Ugh, leave me alone."

"I'm being serious."

"I love Jay. I'm talking, I am in love with him. We're looking at apartments."

"Then why are you worrying about my idiot brother?"

"I guess…I don't know. I don't want to hurt him."

"Erin, I assure you, he's fine."

"Alright. Come on, before your grandfather yells at me because he doesn't have a beer."

"He's not that bad," Izzy laughed as they walked back into the house.

Nick and his daughter Zara arrive soon after, followed by Mike and Bill Dodds with Lucia and it was time to eat.

"So, Izzy, have you and Barba talked about any wedding plans yet?" Mike asked.

"Not yet," Rafael answered quickly.

"Uh, yeah, we've only been engaged for two weeks. We're not rushing into anything."

"Well, if you guys are interested, I might know of a few…"

"We're good, thanks."

"Rafi, let Mike speak to Izzy," Lucia told her son.

The ADA rolled his eyes before taking a drink of his wine and continuing to eat.

"Um, thanks, Sarge. When we get to that part, I'll talk to you."

"Well, you know where to find me."

"Don't get too attached to Mike. After SVU, he's gonna go on to something like Joint Terrorism," Chief Dodds added.

"What?" Nick asked.

"Nothing is in the works. I'm fine where I'm at."

The older Dodds just sort of looked at his son with a hint of disappointment.

After dinner, Izzy took Zara to her the room she grew up in since Zara was the only child there, so she could watch movies, play dress up with Izzy's old clothes, etc.

The guys went back to watching football, with the exception of Frank, whom undid his belt and fell asleep in Anthony's recliner.

"Psst, Ma."

"What is it, Junior?"

"Come here," Tony whispered as he barely had the kitchen door open.

"Oh, what now?"

Stella walked into the living room to find her dad with a black wig on his head and a Wonder Woman costume draped over him.

"Anthony you promised."

"He's the one that fell asleep and you know the rules."

All the guys were doing their best not to laugh.

"Rafael, I expected better of you."

"Peer pressure, Stella. It's a bitch."

"You guys get that off of him. Now."

"Ugh, you're no fun," Anthony told his wife as she rolled her eyes and went back to the kitchen.

"What have two done to my daughter?" Nick asked after he walked upstairs to find Zara in full make-up and a formal dress that was much too big for her.

"We put some make-up on her and I put her in my Junior Prom dress, Amaro. Look at her."

"How do I look, Daddy?"

"Much older than you should but…very beautiful," he smiled.

"Aunt Izzy and Aunt Erin did it."

"Aunt Erin, huh?"

"What? Izzy can be her aunt and I can't?"

"Get her back in her clothes so I can take her home."

"You guys are leaving already?" Izzy asked her partner.

"I gotta take her back to Maria and her parents."

"Okay. We'll get this make-up off…"

"Nah, leave it," Nick snickered to which Izzy shook her head.

"Maria will be calling me and…"

"No, she won't. It'll be fine."

While Izzy and Erin helped Zara out of the dress, Rafael found Tony on the back porch smoking a cigar.

"Started without me, huh?"

"Sorry, man."

Rafael sat next to his best friend and lit the cigar he had been handed.

"So, what's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"Tony, I 've known you for how long? I know when something is bothering you. Out with it."

"Ugh, it's just…I always thought I was over Erin. You know?"

"You've always said you were."

"I just…maybe…she had always talked about one day moving out here and joining the NYPD with my sister and I figured that we'd probably work things out. I mean, we've both grown up a lot since the last time we were together."

"When was that?"

"2009. Long distance."

"Ohhh, yeah. I remember that. That was a long year."

"You and my sister were together then."

"I'm talking about you. 'Should I go to Chicago? Should I wait for her to call me?' It was exhausting."

"Funny. Did you have a feeling that you and my sister were gonna end up together?"

"Honestly? Yeah. Remember the night of my wedding?"

"Yeah," Tony said with a small chuckle before taking a drag from his cigar. 

"I mean, in all honesty, as much as I hate to say this cause I watched my mother go through it with my dad, I probably would've tried to have an affair with your sister had I gotten married."

"And she would've probably kicked your ass."

"You're right about that," Rafael half laughed. "On the list of the stupidest things I have done, getting engaged is in the top 5."

Soon, everyone had left, with the exception of Izzy, Rafael, and Tony.

The guys sat in the living room, watching whatever reruns they could find while Stella and her daughter had coffee in the kitchen.

"So, have you given any thought to what kind of wedding you guys want?"

"Mom."

"I knew what kind of wedding I wanted with your father way before I got pregnant with your brother."

"I kind of see us having something sort of small. I mean, no more than 75 people."

"Both of your families have more than that."

"Well, maybe we don't invite every single person. You guys are still paying for it, right?"

"Elizabeth!"

"What? Did I pass an age limit for my parents to pay for my wedding?"

"No but…"

"Ma, I'm just kidding."

"You know we're gonna pay for it," Stella laughed as she placed her hand on her daughter's. "I am just so excited for you and happy for the both of you."

"Thanks, Mom," the detective smiled as she squeezed her mother's hand.


End file.
